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    Home » Recipes » Bengali Sweets

    Komola Payesh

    January 12, 2021 by Kankana Saxena

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Komola Payesh literary translating to orange rice pudding is a winter specialty! Creamy rice pudding flavored with aromatic cardamom, bay leaf and fresh orange juice along with pulp. It’s luscious, melts with mouth and the orange pulps adds a refreshing sweetness.

    Komola Payesh – Orange Rice Pudding

    This perfumy refreshing rice pudding, Komola Payesh is a quintessential Bengali classic.

    Some prefer to make kheer instead, where there is no rice added. Just thicken milk flavored with orange.

    I will share that someday soon. But this week for Makar Sankranti Special, I wanted to celebrate rice by making chaler payesh (rice pudding) with komolalebu (oranges)!

    In my world any Bengali festival must include Payesh. My all-time favorite dessert and while my preference will always be Kejur Gurer Payesh, winter must be celebrated with oranges. And so Komola Payesh felt like the right choice here.

    What do you need for Komola Payesh?

    Short Grain Rice : A rice variety that is traditionally used for this pudding is called “ Gobindo bhog” or “Kali jeera rice” both of which are non-sticky short grain rice, with a beautiful aroma.

    I have seen several varieties of Kali Jeera Rice in Amazon, you can check it out. But you can also locate these in your local Indian stores. Some Indian stores sells these variety of rice.

    Whole Milk: I don’t compromise with fats or taste when it comes to Payesh. So whole milk is what I will always recommend.

    Sugar: White sugar is what you should be using but brown sugar will work fine too. And if you absolutely must, then yes honey can be a substitute as well. Traditional recipe will call for only sugar.

    Green Cardamom and Bay Leaf: Adding bay leaf in rice pudding is not common in rest of India. But Bengalis love bay leaves, in both their savory and sweet treats.

    Fresh Orange: Use both the juice and the pulp. You can make it as much orange loaded as you want.

    Orange Rice Pudding

    Can you prepare Rice Pudding in Pressure Cooker?

    Rice pudding is a labor of love and I will never use insta-pot or pressure cooker. It’s a feeling for us Bengalis and we take the whole process very seriously.

    It has to be always prepared on a heavy bottom pan, simmered and slow cooked until the milk is thickened, and the rice is cooked through with the perfect sweetness.

    I don’t use condensed milk or powdered milk. It is prepared with only whole milk that is first simmered to thicken a bit before adding the rice.

    Hands in frame enjoying orange rice pudding.

    When do you add the Orange?

     Now this is the trickiest part. If you add orange while the pudding is still warm, then it will curdle, and the pudding will be inedible.

    You prepare the payesh (rice pudding) and let it cool down to room temperature. And then you add the juice and the pulp and mix it around.

    Serve it freshly prepared and cold or room temperature, if you are like me who doesn’t enjoy cold payesh.  

    If you have never tried this Komola Payesh, then this winter you have to give this orange rice pudding a try. You might make it all winter long.

    Komola Payesh (Orange Rice Pudding)

    Kankana Saxena
    Komola Payesh literary translating to orange rice pudding is a winter specialty! Creamy rice pudding flavored with aromatic cardamom, bay leaf and fresh orange juice along with pulp. It’s luscious, melts with mouth and the orange pulps adds a refreshing sweetness.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Bengali
    Calories 337 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • ⅓ cup short grain rice
    • 1 liter whole milk
    • ⅓ cup white sugar
    • ¼ cup raisins
    • ¼ cup cashew
    • 2 bay leaves 4 green cardamoms
    • ½ cup orange juice
    • ⅓ cup orange pulp plus more for garnish on top

    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 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 sugar, raisins and cashew. Stir it to incorporate the sugar 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 sugar.
    • 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.
    • Once the payesh has completely cooled down to room temperature, add the orange juice and orange pulp and fold it to the payesh to evenlt distribute it.
    • Serve with few more orange pulps on top as garnish.

    Notes

    Keep in mind to add orange juice and pulp only after the payesh has completely cooled down.
    Do not warm the payesh after you added the orange juice and pulp, it will curdle otherwise.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 10gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 167mgFiber: 1gSugar: 39g
    Keyword bengali recipe, desserts, payesh, rice pudding, sweets
    Flat lay view of the Orange Rice Pudding (Komola Payesh)

    More Bengali Sweets

    • Dudh Puli - Bengali Classic winter Dessert - Sankranti Special
      Dudh Puli
    • Chanar Sondesh
    • Chanar Payesh
      Chanar Payesh
    • Chitoi Pitha (Steamed Pancakes)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. mjskitchen

      January 17, 2021 at 9:49 am

      Rice pudding is something I only eat when we have Indian food. It's such a treat, but the one we get doesn't have the orange. That sounds really, really delicious! Of cardamon always makes food taste better. 🙂

      • Kankana Saxena

        January 17, 2021 at 5:46 pm

        I am so glad you liked it! Hope you will try the dish 🙂

    2. jody

      January 16, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      Not too familiar with some of these ingredients. Do I take the cardamom out after cooking? Are the cashews raw or dry roasted? When you say orange "pulp" I assume you mean simply the meat of the orange(?). Thank you. Looks and sounds wonderful.

      • Kankana Saxena

        January 17, 2021 at 5:44 pm

        You don't need to take out the cardamoms but if you are not used to this spice that may be add cardamom powder so the pod doesn't come in your by mistake. The cahews are added as is to the pudding. No need to roast. When I say Oraneg pulp, I mean the tiny pulp removed from the thin shell. So you peel the orange as usual and then remove the tiny peel from the individual pieces and add just the pulp. Hope I answered your questions and thank you so much for dropping by 🙂

    3. Kandkfoodproducts

      January 14, 2021 at 5:26 am

      Your photography skills are commendable. Thankyou for sharing this amazing recipe.

      • Kankana Saxena

        January 17, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        Thank you soo much!

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