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WHAT IS PAYASAM/KHEER?
Payasam as the south Indians call it or Kheer as the north Indians call it is a milk based dessert which is almost always made when we want to celebrate any occasion, festival, puja or when our tastebuds crave for something Indian, sweet, quick and delicious! There are a variety of kheers/payasams Indians make; it could be using rice (rice kheer), dry, roasted vermicelli (vermicelli payasam/kheer) or even some lentils like chana dal/split black gram or mung bean dal too! Why, we even love a cracked wheat/bulgur payasam or dessert! Lentils, rice, cracked wheat or vermicelli are roasted in ghee and then cooked with some milk and sugar/jaggery with crushed green cardamom to aromatize the whole dessert! But being from south India, where coconut groves are in plenty, we love to enjoy our payasams cooked in coconut milk especially if it is freshly squeezed/pressed. We love it so much, we are willing to enjoy it unflavored too; no added sugar or jaggery or any other sweetener like in this Konkani style Cheppi Kheer; rice cooked in thick coconut milk flavored with just a piece of fresh turmeric leaf!
BARLEY PAYASAM:
Today, I will sharing my current favorite, Barley Payasam, a healthy coconut milk dessert with chewy bites of cooked pearl barley, sweetened with jaggery; the unrefined version of cane sugar which is much healthier than plain sugar, and a whiff of crushed green cardamom powder! Here, you can use freshly pressed or squeezed coconut milk or canned coconut milk like I have in this dessert. Pearl barley is one of the most treasured and oldest grains which has again started to appear in kitchens around the world! High in dietary fiber, B-complex, vitamins and minerals, this chewy textured grain is delicious and actually, my whole family preferred this in our payasam rather than the regular cracked wheat/bulgur we use in payasams or desserts! We have fallen in love with the bite it gives with each spoonful!
HOW TO MAKE BARLEY PAYASAM:
As barley is a hardy grain which needs a bit of cooking, I have made the process much easier and quicker using a pressure cooker. Just pressure cook washed and drained barley until soft, add jaggery powder and coconut milk (freshly squeezed or canned), bring to a boil and simmer! Add a dash of crushed and powdered green cardamoms and for more texture, some ghee or oil roasted (if vegan), nuts and raisins , stir and enjoy hot, warm or totally chilled like I love it!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Barely payasam is such a quick dessert especially when made in a pressure cooker, you can enjoy it any time of the year, to celebrate any occasion or just like that when your tastebuds crave for a delicious dessert! I am going to make it again for Sankranti this year (January 14, 2021), the harvest festival of India, when people, especially the farmers pray and pay ode to the Sun God “Surya Devta” for bestowing his bountiness on them for that year’s harvest and share it with my FB group Healthy Wellthy Cuisines for the Sankranti theme. It can be served hot, warm or chilled, depending upon your liking! We are so in love with this grain, it is going to end up in my pulaos, biryanis or even salads from now on! Enjoy Foodies and Happy Eating!
If you have a sweet tooth like me, you are going to love these too:
Quinoa Payasam with Coconut Milk Dates and Oats Payasam Vegan Lauki Kheer with Coconut Milk Mango Phirni with Almonds
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