May it be any Indian festival, payasam, prathaman, pongal or kheer is the sweet ending. There is a certain bit of comfort we derive from hugging a bowl of this dessert. Resembling a pudding, the dessert is a combination of  a grain, fruits or seed cooked in milk and sweetened perfectly.Depending on the region where it is popular this dessert is slightly different and goes by the names payasam, payasa, payesh prathaman, pongal or kheer.

Why is this Indian pudding made?

Cleverly crafted the payasam or kheer is a age old tradition. The bowl of kheer symbolizes a celebration hence it is made for festivals, birthdays and any occasion to celebrate success. Combined with milk  (plant milk) and sweetness it is a beloved navivedyum (bhog) which is a divine offering.  If you look at the varieties carefully, you will notice the regional and seasonal changes that made to the basic recipe, still holding on to the very essence of celebration and sharing with love. 
Here is a collection of 25 varieties of this dessert that you can trust for your festival offering. Each one of them is tried and tested multiple times, some classic and some fusion. Save it and enjoy.

Try these payasam recipes

Payasams come in many forms. Listed here are some of the most popular and some unique payasams you must try when trying the south Indian meal.

Pink paal payasam: Kerala style payasam made with raw red rice and milk is a comforting recipe made famous for it pale pink hue. Made during Krishnashtami, Onam and Vishu the payasam is one of Kerala’s favorite.

Semiya payasam:  the classic adaptation of the thin vermicelli cooked in milk is one of the best propagated fusion recipes that we have all loved. Make it for a birthday, a get together or any festival and make some memories.This is also called the vermicelli kheer or seviyyan kheer.

Chatha chathayam: An ancient rice and coconut milk based kheer, flavored with jaggery and banana. This is a niche recipe made during Shastapreethi. It is also a vegan payasam.

Teff payasam :a clever use of the Ethiopian seeds to form a creamy payasam laced with shredded coconut.

Mongil arisi payasam: is a slow cooked pudding with bamboo rice and milk. It is a rare payasam recipe popular among the forest region where bamboo rice is more available.

Kadala parippu payasam: uniquely satisfying chickpea payasam from Sizzling tastebuds is to be savoured atleast once. The chickpea dal is roasted to bring out the best of flavours in this recipe.

Rice rava payasam:  Quick and easy payasam made with crushed rice (rice rava) and jaggery. Best part is it is done under 20 minutes, hence a brilliant idea for festival days that fall on busy week days.

Carrot payasam: orange or purple carrots make the most delicious drinking style payasam. Very often we make this during Navrathri.

Aval payasam: instant payasam idea with flaked rice and coconut milk the rice is loved for its quick comfort that I learnt from my husband’s family. 

Badami payasa: Enjoy this Karnataka style payasa made with almonds, coconut and milk from Preethis cuisine. It is rich and perfect for small serves and for festivals like Ugadi

Varagu paal payasam: slow cooked millet in milk is one of our house favorite. It is perfect for vrat days or naivedyum.

Nuruku godhambu payasam : done in Kerala style this crushed wheat based payasam is made during home celebrations. This is again a vegan payasam.

Chaler payesh: classic rice payesh made in Bengali style is a recipe from Evergreen dishes. The unique feature about thie recipe is the subtle fragrance from the added bayleaf.

What is the difference between payasam and prathaman?

For the love of Kerala, prathamans find thier way more often than payasams. Prathaman are a rustic style payasam made with coconut milk and jaggery. The slow cooked prathaman is often made with rice, fruits like plantain and jackfruit or dals. It is a bit thicker than payasam and best served on a banana leaf. This paysam stays good for a couple of days as well.These recipes are made for Onam, Vishu, Christmas and Easter.

Here is a collection of prathaman

Mango prathaman: Ripe mango and jaggery cooked in coconut milk is a seasonal prathaman recipe that is made often during Vishu.

Paalada prathaman : made using sundired rice flakes, milk and sugar the paalads prathaman is slightly different from the prathaman recipes that use jaggery and coconut milk.

Kadala parippu prathaman: made with Bengal gram the prathamn is a slightly ifferent version from the chickpea payasam.

Nendrapazham prathaman: made with ripe plantains nendrapazham prathaman is an unavoidable recipe for Onam once you have enjoyed it.

What is the difference between payasam and kheer?

Though cooked fairly similar, kheer is a smoother and thicker version of the Indian pudding compared to payasam. Compared to a payasam there is a lot of crushed nuts added to the kheers, where as in payasam it is a roasted bunch of nuts and raisins alonv with the ghee that is addded. Very often kheer can be seen served chilled where are payasams are preferably served warm. The differnece exists even in the way they are served. Payasams are served in a banana leaf or glasses with a spoon.however, kheer is usually served in small earthen bowls or any bowl as it is a bit thicker to have.

Must try kheer varities

Kheers as discussed re very similar to payasams. Here are some comforting and some special ones that you can use throughout the festival time

Rajgira Kheer: made popularly during navrathi season or vrat this is amde with popped amaranth seeds. gently and slowly cooked in milk it is an incredible mouth feel like little pops.

Sweet potato kheer:The most delicious creamy cooked sweet potato in milk an flavoured with jaggery or sugar and cardamom.

Chakhao ambui kheer: made with forbidden black rice it is a unique recipe that is fragrant and creamy and purple.

Kheer komola: this unique recipe with oranges in kheer is a seasonal speciality from The world through my eyes.

Mothichoor kheer: Fusion to the best,this kheer is made with crushed mothichoor ladoos and the warmth of milk.It is best served chilled.

Apple kheer: What is a better way to hve some apples than use them as a kheer. So fragrant this recipe from Mayuri’s jikoni will ensure your sweet tooth is well taken care of.

Bagarichi kheer: Bagar or millet based kheer is a delicate recipe made for Janmashtami, Check it out on The Madscientist Kitchen.

Paneer kheer; Is a royal creamy cottage cheese recipe, served chilled. This gluten free recipe is from Food trails.

Sago kheer: simple and easy yet comfortingly creamy kheer with tapioca pearls is one you should never miss. Make it with stands of saffron for that unique color and flavour.

Badam kheer: Soaked and ground almonds turned to the creamiest kheer. Try this from My cooking journey.

Phool Makahana kheer: Traditional kheer recipe made with foxnuts and nuts is a popular dessert for Holi, Navrathri or Diwali. Check it out from Cook with Renu.

Lauki kheer: Bottle gourd cleverly disguised as a dessert is an incredible idea for a kheer. Do try from Batter up with Sujata.

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Hope you have a sweet tooth to hold on to this incredible collection of Indian dessert that is essential to celebrate every festival at its best. Share with us if you have any unique ones you make so we can add it to the collection
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The recent India trip was fantastic. As much as we had fun, there are a couple of things that this India trip ruined for me. One was bread the other was rose milk. That was my simple pleasure which the milk booths used to keep in plenty. During this trip, I searched high a low for some but found none. As soon as we got back and the jet lag faded off,  I had to make some myself. Since it has become a kind of rarity, I guess it is best if it is on our blog too.

What is rose milk?

The gorgeous, pale pink, milk-based drink is a gentle lightly sweetened drink popular in summer. With the juicy crunchy basil seeds added, this summer drink is a popular one for the heat and humidity of the tropics. With flavours of extract of rose and the same as its fragrance, the cold, frothy milk drink is a relief from the heat. The drink Bandung in Malaysia and Thai Nom Yen are all versions of the same. However in this recipe today we have not used the rose syrup that gets utilized in most recipes, rather have gone in to create a natural alternate with fresh rose flower petals. 

Ingredients to make the rose milk

Milk : boiled and chilled milk is what we use traditionally for this recipe. However, over a  period of time, I find Evaporated milk gives a full-bodied thick frothy milk moustache-making consistency. You can use half-and-half or low-fat milk too.
Rose petals: nothing beats that fresh rose petal that gets blended in. Use known sources of pesticides free fresh rose petals or edible grade dried ones. The actual variety that we look for with its fragrance is the panneer rose, the one from which rose water is extracted. Make sure your source is from the edible roses as there are plenty that is just ornamental.
Rose water: since the rose petals may not be fragrant enough, edible-grade rose water is required. If you have plenty of rose petals you can avoid using this.
Red food colour: the pink colour is characteristic of this drink. A small drop or two of natural red food colour will do the job. You can use natural dried beet powder in its place too.
Sweetener:  is totally optional. Use honey or sugar to flavour if needed. Since the milk in Australia is much sweeter, I have not used any here.
Sweet basil seeds: this is the exciting part of this drink. Basil seeds are small black seeds often sold in Indian spice aisles as Sabja. This when added to water swells into small jelly globes. They add a lovely touch to the drink and also promote gut health. These are not chia seeds, however, if you cannot get there you can use some chia here.

How to make this drink?

Soak the basil seeds in about 3 times water. Once you gather the ingredients it is as simple as blending them together all except the basil seeds. Once frothy pour into tall glasses and top with the bloomed basil seeds. Check the recipe card below for detailed instructions and exact measurements. YOu can pin the same from th recipe card on to your board if saving for later.

Can this be a vegan drink?

It is a milk-based drink, however, using soy or almond milk gives a delicious vegan pink milk without a huge change in flavour. In fact, I love to use soy milk as my choice for the vegan version. The rest of the ingredients are the same.

Make ahead and storage

The freshly blended rose milk is certainly frothy. However, it is an easy drink to make and store in the refrigerator. It stays good for upto 3 days with regular milk and about 7 days with Evaporated milk. Keep it in a sealed bottle or a small covered pitcher to have on hot days. You can mix in the basil seeds too. They stay at the bottom, so stir well before pouring out the drink for yourself.

Easy summer thirst quenchers on this blog

Apple celery green juice
Nectarine fizz
Fresh fig milkshake
Strawberry lassi
Cherry watermelon smoothie

Stay connected

If you have spent your childhood in the tropics, I am sure you would have also had a version of this. Pink milk as it is fondly called us now revived for me. Try out this caffeine-free, afternoon pick-up and rate us using the star system below. Share in the comments your childhood experiences with the easy thirst quencher. Subscribe to us for new recipes or visit us often.
Enjoy your glass while I get some more.