NOTUN GURER PAYESH [RICE KHEER WITH DATE PALM JAGGERY]

Payesh; we have grown up having it! It is made with Date Palm Jaggery in winter, with sugar rest of the year. Considered auspicious, we prepare it almost in every occasion, as an offering to God, on birthdays.... it is said, each spoon full lengthens our stay on earth. Preparing cake on birthdays is an adaption from the West but making Kheer on special occasions is actually our custom.

I am just back from my winter visit from Kolkata, India. All living abroad can well understand how it feels to be away from home. You get used to the comfort of the developed cities, you even get irritated at times with the slow internet, long queues everywhere, traffic jams; but once at the airport you feel terrible. Watching your  once strong father staring with blank eyes while departing is not an easy task. Neither it is easy to hold yourself back when at the airport gate.... my pa-in-law says can I have a photograph only with my grandson?

Within 15-20 days of stay there, I hardly can cook and serve my loved ones whatever I wish to, I buy minimal ingredients there, the infrastructure too is not supportive....with a mono microwave, I could not even bake a cake for my family on the 25th of December. 

My dear ones say what is the blog for, only to see pictures? I give an indulgent smile and say please do visit our island, I promise to make you happy. Be happy with simple fish curries and Kheer / Payesh here which requires minimal ingredients.

Kheer or Rice Pudding requires only 4 ingredients. Its winter, hence we do it with date palm jaggery, along with it milk, rice and a bay leaf.

INGREDIENTS :

Milk [Full Cream] : 2 litre
Date Palm Jaggery[Patali Gur] : 200 gm
Sugar : 3tbsp
Rice[Gobindo Bhog] : 100gm[or Chini Gura variety which you get in the Asian stores, if not then use Basmati]
Bay Leaf : 2

METHOD :

Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Put the heat at high. Once it comes to boil, wash and add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to medium. While boiling the milk we need to stand near it, stir every 3 to 4 minutes, so that it does not spill or stick from below. Well good cooking needs patience.

Wash the rice, soak in water. When the milk is reduced to almost half, drain the water from the rice, add to the milk. Give a nice stir. Every 2-3 minutes stir well.

When the rice is almost boiled, add the sugar. Reduce the heat to minimum and let it simmer for few more minutes. Mash the jaggery with the back of your ladle or a rolling pin. Add the mashed jaggery to the kheer, let it mix well with the whole thing, immediately switch off. Its done.

Please note we have to add the jaggery when the kheer is almost done, too much boiling after adding it may lead to curdling of the milk / kheer.

We do not need to add cardamom here, as we need to retain the smoky, caramel flavour of the date palm jaggery in it.

We usually do not use any type of nuts or raisins in it. It is eaten as it is or sometimes with roti among us.

If you stay abroad, you would get date palm  jaggery [patali gur / nolen gur] in the local Bangladeshi / Asian Stores, else order online. I get it from Kolkata!