Rice Payesh is a traditional Bangladeshi sweet dish enjoyed by families during holiday seasons. This recipe comes from our good friend Mizan!
INGREDIENTS
1 Litre Milk (just over 4 cups)
1/3 cup Basmati Rice
1/3 cup sugar (reduce sugar if you don’t have such a sweet tooth!)
4 cardamom pods
OR 1 tsp ground cardamom
Nuts (e.g. cashews, pistachios, almonds)
Dried fruit (e.g. raisins, dates, apricots)
2 tsp ghee or butter
2 bay leaves
DIRECTIONS
Pour milk into a large pot and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. When it reaches a rolling boil and milk begins to thicken, add bay leaves and slightly crushed cardamom pods.
Rinse uncooked rice and add it to the milk. Allow the rice to boil over a low to medium flame until it is cooked but still firm. Stir frequently to keep the rice from sticking or burning. As the milk evaporates, add water if there is not enough liquid for the rice.
When the rice is almost cooked, remove the bay leaves and stir in sugar. Mix well and allow to boil until the mixture thickens slightly.
Remove from heat and add dried nuts, dried fruit and ghee. Allow to cool, refrigerate and serve chilled. If it’s too thick after being refrigerated, add a little boiled milk before serving.
