Paal Payasam | Rice Payasam (2024)

This Paal Payasam recipe is a typical Tamil style Rice Payasam – a creamy, delicious pudding of milk and rice. No extras added, just the basic rice pudding in South Indian style. Rice is a staple grain in the Indian cuisine and we make many preparations from it. Particularly in South India, savory and salty preparations like Tamarind Rice, Curd Rice, etc. to sweet desserts like this Paal Payasam, Sweet Pongal and many more are made. South Indian cuisine is known for its plethora of rice-based dishes too.

About Paal Payasam

A Rice Pudding is known as Rice Kheer in India. So, when you translate the famous sweet from Tamil Nadu, Paal Payasam in English, it is ‘milk (paal)’ and ‘kheer (payasam).’ It is often spelt as Paal Payasam or referred to as Arisi Paal Payasam or Rice Payasam.

This Rice Payasam is also the simplest sweet that you can ever imagine of. Only 4 ingredients – rice, milk, sugar and ghee – simmered together into a thick, creamy concoction of deliciousness.

This South Indian sweet dish can literally be the dessert of your dreams because it is so easy to make and a 10/10 on taste.

Paal Payasam can be served hot or cold as a sweet or an after-meal dessert. You can also make this payasam on festivals and offer it to the deities.

Since we are talking about this particular South Indian version of sweet pudding, me sharing other similar variations of the same will be totally justified. So, you can try all of these too.

From Southern India, some of my other favorites are Pasi Paruppu Payasam, Kadalai Paruppu Payasam and another Tamil delicacy Aval Payasam.

About My Recipe

I had developed my affinity towards different types of payasams while holidaying in Kerala many years back. The hotels we stayed at served some really authentic and tasty versions.

Like the mixed lentil payasam. Another one was the moong dal payasam, which was served as prasadam at the Guruvayur Temple.

I literally had an overdose of payasams on that trip, but in a positive way. And it was only right on my part to try all of them (and more!) back at home, and share the recipes that I would come up with on my blog as well.

To begin with, was this really simple, yet decadent version of the Rice Payasam. This Paal Payasam has no flavorings or dry fruits, still tastes heavenly.

The combination of rice, milk and ghee is enough to bring out the best of flavors, and you actually won’t miss any of the flavorings in this dish.

But still, if you can’t really digest a payasam or kheer without adding some flavorings in it, refer to this list, choose and add what you like:

• Cardamom powder
• Nutmeg powder
• Saffron strands
• Blanched and sliced almonds
• Chopped or sliced cashews or pistachios
• Raisins
• Rose water
• Kewra water (pandanus water)

The way to cook this Rice Payasam is that of a slow cooking method. Because of the slow simmering, the Paal Payasam develops its own rice flavors.

I usually don’t cook kheers/payasams in a pressure cooker as I don’t take chances with the milk spilling out from the cooker and creating a mess. But if you wish, you can try cooking it in a stovetop pressure cooker.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Paal Payasam

Sauté Rice

1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a thick bottomed wide pan or kadai. If you want, you can also add½ tablespoon ghee.

2. Add 3 tablespoons basmati rice. I kept the rice whole. You can also coarsely ground the rice and then add.

Also, if you prefer, you can rinse the rise grains first and spread them on a plate to dry.

3. Stir the rice grains and sauté.

4. Sauté for on low to medium heat for about 30 seconds or till the rice turns fragrant. Do not brown the rice.

Cook Rice With Milk

5. Then, add 1 liter full fat milk or whole milk which has been boiled before. The pre-boiled milk can be hot, warm or refrigerated.

6. Stir to combine.

7. Bring the milk to a boil first, on low to medium heat. Stir while the milk is getting heated up, so that the bottom of the milk does not get scorched.

8. After the milk has come to a boil, continue to simmer till the rice grains are cooked. For quick cooking of the rice, I kept a lid on the pan.

But in this case, you have to be in the kitchen and alert, so that you open the lid when the milk starts frothing up.

Or else you can cook the rice uncovered. But do stir regularly.Another tip is cover the pan in such a way, so that some of the steam can be passed through.

9. After30minutes the rice grains are ¾ᵗʰ cooked.

10. Continue to cook further till the rice grains are completely cooked. Here, I have kept the lid in a way, allowing some space for the steam to pass.

11. Herethe rice grain are cooked well and softened. After the rice grains are completely softened, you can even mash them while stirring with a spoon or spatula.

Make Paal Payasam

12. Once the rice grains are cooked, add 4 tablespoons sugar. You can add sugar as per your taste requirements.

13. Stir so that the sugar is dissolved.

14. Simmer further for 8 to 10 minutes or till the milk has reduced and the payasam has thickened.

Keep in a mind that as the payasamcools, it will thicken more. So, you can decide the consistency you prefer.

15. Serve Paal Payasam plain or garnished with saffron, rose petals or sliced almonds.

For the picture, I garnished with some dried rose petal chiffonade. You can serve the Rice Payasam hot or cold. Refrigerate when it comes to room temperature.

Expert Tips

1. For this payasam, use full fat or whole milk. Low fat milk have the chances of curdling while getting cooked. Also, pre-boiled milk that is added in the rice, can be hot, warm or refrigerated.
2. You have to keep stirring the milk when it is getting heated in order to avoid scorching from the bottom.
3. Since this payasam is cooked in ghee, you can go a little low on it. Instead of 1 tablespoon, you can add ½ tablespoon too.
4. I have added whole rice in this recipe. You can even grind the rice coarsely and then add. With ground rice the cooking will be faster.
5. To cook the rice quickly, I covered the pan with a lid. But if you are doing so, stay around so that you can open and check when the milk starts to froth. Also, cover your pan in a way that some steam can be passed through. If not doing this, then you can cook the rice uncovered as well, but keep stirring regularly.
6. You may have your likings when it comes to the sweetness in the payasam. Add sugar accordingly.
7. Remember on cooling, you will have a thicker payasam. So, decide on the consistency you want and cook accordingly. If not serving immediately, refrigerate once it comes to room temperature.
8. Garnish options: Rose petals, saffron, sliced almonds or pistachios or your choice of nuts.

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

This Rice Payasam recipe post from the archives first published in October 2015 has been republished and updated on November 2022.