Nolen Gurer Payesh | Bengali Rice Pudding with Nolen Gur
Bengali rice kheer flavoured with nolen gur, a winter speciality
Ingredients
- 1 lt full-fat milk
- 2 tbsp Gobindobhog rice or any other fragrant short-grained rice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3-4 tbsp nolen gur to taste
Instructions
- Soak gobindobhog rice in water for 30 minutes and then discard the water. Spread the rice over a clean cloth and let it dry.
- Put the milk on a boil and then reduce it while stirring continuously over low heat.
- You have to stir continuously while removing the skin from the sides. For the perfect payesh texture, you cannot allow the skin to form.
- When the milk has reduced to almost half (about 2/3 and a little more), add the rice. Again, keep cooking and stirring continuously.
- It doesn't take long for gobindobhog rice to cook and more importantly, we want an 'al dente' texture of the rice.
- The rice needs to cook but not all through, not mushy. The minute the rice has reached the desired texture, add a tsp of sugar to stop the cooking of the rice any further.
- You will see that as it continues cooking, the milk will loosen up a bit more since sugar melts and when the payesh starts boiling in a manner where small bubbles are bursting out, take it off the heat and add nolen gur to taste.
- You cannot add nolen gur while it is cooking because there are chances of the milk splitting due to impurities in gur.`
- As it cools down, the milk thickens and the payesh gets the right consistency
- Refrigerate it and serve it chilled.