Odia Chaler Payesh (Gobindobhog Kheer)
Odia chaler payesh is a creamy Gobindobhog rice kheer finished off heat with fragrant date palm jaggery, ghee-fried nuts and bay leaf.
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1 hr 10 mintotal
55 min hands-on15 min hands-off
Prep 15 min · Cook 40 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- None
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
Let the rinsed rice air-dry briefly before rubbing with ghee, and cool the milk slightly before adding date palm jaggery so it does not curdle.
Method
Rinse the Gobindobhog rice, drain it well, and spread it on a flat surface for 10 minutes. Rub the measured ghee into the faintly damp grains and reserve the mixture.
10 min
Add the full-fat milk into a heavy-bottomed, broad-based reduction pan. Bring it to a boil.
Immerse the bay leaf and fractured green cardamom into the liquid. Immediately pull back the thermal input, maintaining a controlled simmer for 10 minutes to partially evaporate water content and concentrate the dairy fats.
10 min
Add the ghee-coated rice into the simmering milk. Stir well so the rice does not clump.
Simmer on low heat with dedicated, frequent stirring for approximately 20-25 minutes. The endpoint is reached only when the rice grains are utterly yielding, verging on total dissolution into the surrounding milk.
20–25 min
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry the cashews and raisins briefly in a little ghee, until the cashews are golden and the raisins have plumped up. Set them aside.
Once you check the rice's tenderness and noting a thick, custard-like texture in the milk, take the pan off the heat.
Let the Payesh to cool for 2-3 minutes. With gentle, sweeping motions, fold the finely grated Date Palm Jaggery (Nolen Gur) into the pudding. Continue until it is mixed in.
2–3 min
Add the reserved, ghee-fried nuts and fruits. Remove and discard the spent bay leaf before serving.
Serve warm, though chilling the preparation in unglazed earthen pots (kullhads) provides the best textural and aromatic experience.
How to tell it's done
The milk should be creamy and ivory-colored, with tender rice grains suspended evenly and a clear palm-jaggery aroma.
Getting it right
Tip
Add nolen gur only after taking the pan off the heat and letting the milk cool for a minute or two. Boiling milk can curdle when jaggery is added.
What to serve it with
Serve payesh warm or chilled in small bowls, with ghee-fried cashews and raisins for Saraswati Puja or Durga Ashtami.
Common mistakes
- The milk curdles after adding jaggery.
- Turn off the heat, wait briefly, and stir in the date palm jaggery only once the bubbling has stopped.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate chaler payesh for up to 3 days. Reheat very gently or serve chilled; do not boil after date palm jaggery has been added.
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