Dessert: Cardamom Rice Pudding (Payasam)

Recipe by Maya Kaimal This is the South Indian equivalent of cake: essential at every wedding, birthday, and holiday. Indians like to serve it warm and soupy. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health and fertility benefits of Cardamom Rice Pudding (Payasam)

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

6 cups whole milk
2/3 cup long-grain white rice (not converted)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated jaggery (unrefined brown sugar) or turbinado sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw)
1 tablespoon Indian Clarified Butter (Ghee) or melted butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

Bring milk, rice, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Add sugar and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Heat ghee in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until hot, then cook almonds, stirring, until golden. Add raisins and cook, stirring, until coated with ghee and slightly puffed.
Stir almond mixture into rice pudding and serve warm.

Add a review for Cardamom Rice Pudding (Payasam)