 |
| CARAMEL PAYASAM - ODIA CHAULA KHIRI |
When I first saw the recipe of Caramel Payasam, I was sceptical. A Caramelized Payasam??? Well, with recipes like Caramel Pudding, Butter Scotch, Ice Creams, or in cakes, my mind said, it could fit well into recipes like that, would it be good for a Payasam? But my preconceptions were cleared when I read that it is one of the traditional Payasam/Kheer from Orissa. ORISSA, Currently, Odisha, this is an authentic Kheer from Odisha, and it's colloquially called Odia Khiri or Chaula Khiri. Khiri is Kheer/Payas and Chaula is Rice and as it originates from the region, it comes to be called Odia Khiri.
Looking deep into its origin and history before cooking is one habit I have taken up in recent years, mainly to convince my mind that a dish is worth a try. The recipe as such and the colour of the Kheer was so appealing that my mind was convinced rather soon to go ahead with the recipe. At last, Aesthetics matters!!! (Here, my daughter can understand the term well, I guess). Well, this Khiri recipe had a technique to yield the needed golden hue where in Kerala Paal Payasam we go to an extent of underlying caramelization of the whole concoction to yield the required pink hue synonymous to Paalada Payasam and Paal Payasam.
So, after a good amount of time reading about the dish and necessary homework, I got into action. Don't ever think I take too much time to execute all the process... It was just a few hours before I was convinced and cooked this authentic Odia Chaula Khiri or simply the Caramel Payasam.
 |
| CARAMEL PAYASAM - ODIA CHAULA KHIRI |
Well, coming back to Odia Chaula Khiri or the Caramel Payasam, the two highlights of this dessert are the Spiced Caramel and the Rice. Rice is one main ingredient used to make Payasam/Pradhaman/Kheer/Khiri/Payesh/Payokh - the utmost traditional dessert spread through the length & breath of the Indian Sub-continent. Rice plays a major role in Indian Cuisine as a staple, and in terms of Religious significance, it symbolizes prosperity. So rice kheer takes a significant place in most religious ceremonies. In Odisha, it is customary for a new bride to cook this Chaula Khiri as her first dish in her in-law's house.
I have tried to make this Kheer alias Khiri with a note of intricacy, I have roasted the rice grains in caramel before cooking it in milk and that type of Kheer is called as Bhaja Chaula Khiri. The later method, i.e. roasting the rice for a few minutes before cooking it with milk, yields a chewy yet firm rice grains, and also it has a pleasant hue with a wonderful taste. I have used just Milk & Sugar, as traditional recipes call for these ingredients, and have slow cooked the Khiri in a pressure cooker. Slow cooking yields you with a golden hued Odia Khiri with a wonderful creamy texture. But some recipes call for condensed milk and Khoya so that this Caramel Payasam can get the needed thickness in simple steps.
 |
| CARAMEL PAYASAM - ODIA CHAULA KHIRI |
For more PAYASAM/PRADHAMAN/KHEER Recipes, Click here...
Cuisine - Odisha (India)
Recipe Type - Pradhaman/Payasam, Dessert
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4-6
Author - SM
Soaking Time - 2 Hours
Cooking Time - 15- 20 Minutes
For more DESSERT RECIPES, Click here...
HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL PAYASAM - ODIA CHAULA KHIRI - BHAJA CHAULA KHIRI
 |
| CARAMEL PAYASAM - ODIA CHAULA KHIRI |
INGREDIENTS:
For Caramel:
Sugar - 1/2 Cup + 1 TablespoonWarm Water - 1/4 Cup
Ghee - 2 Tablespoon
Cardamoms - 3–4 Nos.
Bay Leaf - 2 Leaves
For Caramel Payasam:
Basmati Rice / Long Grained Rice - 3 Tablespoons
Sugar - 1-11/4 Cup
Milk - 5 Cups
METHOD:
Preparation:
- Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours.
- Drain the water and allow the rice to dry on an absorbent kitchen towel for 1/2 an hour.
- Pulse the rice in a mixer for a few seconds, to make it into a coarse powder.
- Alternatively, can use whole rice too.
- Dry roast the saffron strands for a few seconds, soak it in 1 Tablespoon of warm milk & keep it aside.
- Blanch the Almonds and Cashew Nuts & cut them into small pieces.
- Grind the Cardamoms along with a few teaspoons of Sugar into a fine powder.
- Boil the Milk is a heavy-bottomed pan and continue to boil it on a low flame until it is reduced and thickened.
 |
| CARAMEL PAYASAM - ODIA CHAULA KHIRI |
For Caramel Payasam/Odia Chaula Khiri:
- In a heavy-bottomed pan/ a pressure, add 2 Tablespoons of Ghee. Let it melt.
- Then add 1/2 Cup of Sugar & 1 Tablespoon of Water.
- Heat it & let the sugar melt on a medium flame. Do not stir.
- Allow the mixture to continue cooking over high heat, WITHOUT STIRRING, until it has reduced slightly and become GOLDEN AMBER in colour.
- Meanwhile, warm up 1/4 Cup of Water. Do not boil.
- Remove the caramelized sugar from the fire and slowly (carefully) pour in the warm water into it.
- Place the pan over the flame again and boil it on a medium flame for about 2–3 minutes.
- Add Bay Leaves and Cardamom Powder to the Caramalized Sugar and give a quick stir.
- Immediately add coarsely ground Rice to the Caramel and fry it on a very low flame for a few minutes.
- Let the rice grains get well coated with the Caramel.
- Lower the flame & Carefully pour the boiling hot milk and stir well.
- Keep the flame at low and continue to stir until the Caramel gets completely dissolved in the Milk.
- Add Sugar, chopped Almonds & Cashew Nuts and mix well.
- Cover the Lid and cook on high flame for a few minutes, until the pressure starts to release.
- Lower the flame to the minimum (the lowest level) and cook for about 15 -20 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and do not disturb the Pressure Cooker until the steam is fully released.
- Once the pressure cooker has totally cooled down, remove the lid and gently mix the Caramel Payasam.
- Serve Caramel Payasam hot or cold.
NOTES:
- Care should be taken while Caramelizing the Sugar. Caramelize it to light Amber Brown in colour.
- Allowing it to burn or brown will totally alter/Spoil the taste of this Payasam.
- While stirring in the milk with Caramel, make sure that the milk is boiling hot.
- I have cooked this Caramel Payasam, in the pressure cooker.
- Make sure the pressure doesn't release while cooking, this can splatter the milk all around.
- This will totally spoil the taste and can also be messy.
- Leave the Pressure cooker untouched while cooking and even after it is switched off (for at least 30 minutes).
- Can cook this Caramel Payasam in a normal heavy-bottomed pan. The best utensil to cook this Caramel Payasam is a wide-mouthed Bronze Vessel(Uruli).
- Utter care should be taken while cooking the Caramel Payasam in a Pan/Uruli. Cook on a medium-low flame, stirring occasionally.
- Do not leave the Payasam unattended.
- Make sure that the Payasam doesn't get burned, which will totally spoil the taste.
- Slow cooking is the trick behind, Rich and Creamy Caramel Payasam.
- Adding Nuts and Cardamom Powder are truly optional.
- I usually do not fry the Nuts and Raisins in Ghee for this Payasam, if preferred can do so.
