Payasam Recipe - Traditional Tamil Sweet Milk Dessert

Name: Payasam Recipe - Traditional Tamil Sweet Milk Dessert
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tamil Nadu
Ingredients: 1/4 cup raw rice; 4 cups full-fat milk; 1/2 cup jaggery (or sugar); 2 tbsp ghee; 10-12 cashews; 10-12 raisins; 1/4 tsp cardamom powder; A pinch of saffron strands (optional)

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 45 minutes 6 servings Easy

Dessert Festival South Indian

About This Recipe

Classic Tamil payasam (kheer) recipe with rice, milk, and jaggery. This creamy South Indian dessert is perfect for festivals and special occasions.

Ingredients

1/4 cup raw rice
4 cups full-fat milk
1/2 cup jaggery (or sugar)
2 tbsp ghee
10-12 cashews
10-12 raisins
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
A pinch of saffron strands (optional)

Instructions

1
Wash rice and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2
In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring milk to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
3
Add the soaked rice to the milk and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally.
4
Cook for 30-35 minutes until rice is completely soft and broken down.
5
Mash the rice with the back of a ladle to get a creamy consistency.
6
Add jaggery (or sugar) and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes.
7
Add cardamom powder and saffron. Mix well.
8
Heat ghee in a small pan. Fry cashews until golden, then add raisins.
9
Add the fried cashews and raisins to the payasam.
10
Serve warm or chilled, garnished with extra nuts.

Cooking Tips

Use full-fat milk for rich, creamy payasam
Cook on low heat to prevent milk from burning
Jaggery gives authentic flavor; adjust sweetness to taste
Payasam thickens as it cools; keep it slightly thin while cooking
Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days
Reheat gently with a splash of milk if too thick

Nutrition Information

240 kcal

Calories

Protein

38g

Carbs

Fat

Per serving. Values are approximate.

Payasam is Tamil Nadu’s quintessential dessert - a creamy, sweet milk-based pudding served at every celebration, festival, and temple prasadam. No Tamil feast is complete without payasam.

Cultural Significance

In Tamil tradition, payasam represents sweetness and prosperity. It’s the final course in traditional meals served on banana leaves. Temples across Tamil Nadu offer various types of payasam as prasadam to devotees.

Types of Tamil Payasam

Tamil cuisine boasts numerous payasam varieties:

Paal Payasam: Rice and milk (most common)
Semiya Payasam: Vermicelli-based
Paruppu Payasam: Made with moong dal
Javvarisi Payasam: Tapioca pearls
Carrot Payasam: With grated carrots
Pasi Paruppu Payasam: Green gram dal

Festival Special

Payasam is mandatory during:

Pongal: Sweet pongal (chakkarai pongal)
Diwali: Various payasams
Birthdays: Celebration dessert
Weddings: Grand feast finale
Temple festivals: Offered as prasadam

Health Benefits

Traditional payasam made with jaggery, milk, and ghee is considered nourishing. Jaggery provides iron, milk provides calcium, and ghee aids digestion.