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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Khejur Gurer Payesh

    October 25, 2020 by Kankana Saxena

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Khejur Gurer Payesh is a Bengali comfort dessert prepared with short grain aromatic 'gorinbobhog rice' or 'kalijeera rice'. It is often sweetened with sugar but on special occasion the white payesh is turned into mild brown by  using kejur gur (date palm jaggery). 

    Khejur Gurer Payesh is a celebratory rice pudding

    Growing up, I don’t recall any special occasion when khejur gurer payesh was not prepared.

    Be it a birthday, after exam celebrations, any festival or a family get-together, this creamy comfort-in-a-bowl always made an appearance. This ritual is still followed religiously.

    And I still lick the bowl clean, every single time.

    Payesh is auspicious for Bengalies

    At home, payesh  is not only just a casual indulgence but it’s auspicious as well. Payesh is the first solid food baby tastes. Khejur Gurer Payesh is prepared during weddings, birthdays and every festive occasions. 

    It is not a short cut dessert, but one that needs attension and time. There cannot be any rush and we take our payesh very seriously. So, presure cooking or instapot cooked payesh can satisfy a bengali soul. 

    Bengali Rice Pudding

    What kind of rice is used? 

    Traditionally, we use Gobindobhog or Kalijeera rice. These are short grain aromatic rice.  You can use any variety of short grain rice you can find. 

    What is Khejur Gur? 

    Khejur Gur is date palm jaggery which is also referred to as Patali Gur or Nolen Gur. 

    The jaggery is derived from the sap of Date Palm Tree, which is cooked to bring that striking burgundy color. It’s then stored in earthen pots that boosts its flavor and eventually solidifies. At the end, you get two versions of jaggery. One is a thick liquid form called notun gur or nolen gur and the other kind in a rock solid form called patali gur. In either case, the flavor is immense.

    If you are lucky to locate a Bangladeshi store, than you will find Khejurer Gur or Patali Gur. 

    Steps to prepare Khejur Gurer Payesh

    • Wash and soak the rice for sometime.
    • Simmer the milk with bay leaves and cardamoms until it reduces a little and then add the rice. Slow cook the rice until it's cooked through but still retains shape.
    • Add Khejur Gur (Date palm jaggery), cashew, raisins and stir it around to incorporate. 

    Can you prepare Payesh in Instapot 

    If you want the authetic creamy taste, take the old fasion way of slow cooking on stove top. 

    While you can prepare in Instapot or pressure cooker and it will be tasty but dishes like payesh and risotto needs a perfect creamy texture that comes only from slow cooking.  

    OTHER BENGALI DISHES TO TRY 

    Bengali Rice Pudding - Patali Gur Payesh

    Khejur Gurer Payesh

    Kankana Saxena
    Kejur Gurer Payesh is a Bengali comfort dessert prepared with short grain aromatic 'gorinbobhog rice' or 'kalijeera rice'. It is often sweetened with sugar but on special occasion the white payesh is turned into mild brown by  using kejur gur (date palm jaggery). 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 50 mins

    Ingredients
     

    • ⅓ cup short grain rice
    • 1 liter whole milk
    • ½ cup grated jaggery
    • ¼ cup raisins
    • ¼ cup cashew
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 4 green cardamoms

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the rice a few times and then soak it for 15 minutes.
    • In the mean time pour the milk into a heavy bottom pan. Drop the bay leaves and the cardamoms.
    • Now bring the milk to boil and then reduce to medium heat. Keep stirring occasionally as you simmer the milk for 15 minutes.
    • Drain the soaked rice and pour to the milk and keep stirring occasionally as the rice cooks. (DO NOT ADD SUGAR or JAGGERY AT THIS MOMENT)
    • As the rice cooks do not increase the heat, keep stirring occasionally. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes for the rice to be cooked through. You don't want the rice to get mushy so keep an eye.
    • Once the rice is completely cooked through, switch off the heat and add the jaggery, raisins and cashew. Stir it to incorporate the jaggery completely and then cover the pan for 5 minutes.
    • After 5 minutes, stir it around and give a taste. If you prefer payesh much sweeter then feel free to add more.
    • As the payesh cools down it will thicken a little bit more. So if at this point it already looks very thick, then add little milk to loosen the texture.
    • Enjoy Khejur Gurer Payesh warm or room temperature.

    Notes

    Key note to remember is that you shouldn't add any sweetner before the rice is cooked through. Adding sweetner will slow the cooking time of the rice and as a result you will end up getting a mushy texture.
    AMAZON LINK to buy Gobindobhog Rice
    AMAZON LINK to buy Kalijeera Rice
    Khejur Gurer Payesh - bengali rice pudding
    Khejur Gurer Payesh - bengali rice pudding

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. [email protected]

      April 29, 2015 at 8:43 pm

      Rice Kheer in any form is irresistible for me. Especially with extra helpings of fried cashews and sultana raisins.
      Am sure this one must be delectable with the date palm jaggery.
      Love the pictures Kana..

    2. Prachi M.

      April 24, 2015 at 2:29 am

      Lovely recepie.. and that tray is so beautiful..

    3. Abbe @ This is How I

      April 23, 2015 at 1:34 pm

      Moms always know how to take care of us, don't they? Love this rice pudding. I remember making chocolate pudding and thinking the stirring would never end!

    4. Sandhya Hariharan

      April 23, 2015 at 1:22 pm

      I love Jaggery Rice , a sweet prepared as an offering in South India.. This is something really new to me...

    5. Ella-HomeCookingAdv

      April 23, 2015 at 6:24 am

      Love rice pudding, never tried it with cream, only with milk. Must be gorgeous like this.

    6. angiesrecipes

      April 20, 2015 at 8:16 am

      I have never tasted jaggery..the rice pudding looks and sounds so exotic and delicious.

    7. shobha kamath

      April 20, 2015 at 1:43 am

      Very flavourful pudding!

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