Welcoming the New Decade

Bengali Payesh

There are some traditions which need to be preserved for posterity.This is one such. Its a custom in my family to cook sweets on the first day of the year and offer it to the god as a symbol of gratitude for the year that was and praying that the years to come bring happiness to everyone's life. 

I chose rice pudding as that seemed the easiest to me.

Here's my recipe of the Bengali Payesh or the Rice Pudding:

All you would need:

0.5 litre of Full fat milk

2 tsp of fresh cream

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of basmati rice

1/2 tsp of cardamom powder

cashew and almonds

a pinch of salt

Soak the rice in water before you start the cooking. In a saucepan bring the milk to a full boil. Add the cardamom powder, salt and sugar and simmer in low heat stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from burning. After the milk has reduced to 1/3 of its initial volume add the rice and the nuts and continue stirring in low heat. Once the milk has come down to half its original volume check the rice and see if its nearly cooked.Add the fresh cream and ensure its mixed well. Stir in low heat for a minute or two more and take it off the heat and cover it with the saucepan lid and let it cool. The idea here is to ensure that the payesh is taken off the heat when the rice is nearly cooked and letting it soak the heat so that its just rightly cooked and not soggy.Garnish with almond and other nuts of your choice.

Rich, creamy dessert done!

Wish you a happy new decade!