Jaggery Payasam (പായസം) — South Indian milk dessert with ghee and cardamom
Payasam is a beloved South Indian milk-based dessert, often offered in temples and served at festivals. This version uses jaggery for deep caramel notes, finished with ghee-toasted nuts and fragrant cardamom.
Printable Recipe Card
Servings: 6 · Total: 45 min · Difficulty: medium
Ingredients (quick list)
- 1000 ml whole milk (preferably full-fat for a creamy body)
- 250 ml water
- 80 g raw rice (sona masoori or any non-parboiled medium-grain rice)
- 180 g jaggery (grated or chopped; dark jaggery gives deeper color)
- 18 g ghee (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
- 25 g cashews (halved)
- 20 g raisins
- 1 tsp cardamom powder (freshly ground for best aroma)
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt (balances sweetness without tasting salty)
Steps (summary)
- Rinse the rice in cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well. Add the rice and 250 ml water to a heavy-botto…
- Pour in the milk and bring it to a gentle simmer, keeping the heat medium-low so it does not scorch. Cook for 15 minutes, stirr…
- In a small saucepan, warm the jaggery with 60 ml water over low heat for 3–4 minutes until fully dissolved. Strain the syrup th…
- Lower the heat under the milk-rice mixture to low and stir in the strained jaggery syrup in a steady stream. Cook for 6–8 minut…
- Heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat for 30–45 seconds until it shimmers. Fry the cashews for 60–90 seconds until gold…
- Stir the fried nuts and raisins along with all the ghee into the pot, then add cardamom powder and salt. Simmer for 2 minutes,…
Cultural Background
Payasam is a ceremonial sweet across South India, commonly prepared for temple offerings and celebratory feasts like Onam and weddings. Jaggery-based versions are especially prized for their earthy sweetness and traditional, festive character.
Equipment
💡 Tips
- Keep the payasam at a gentle simmer (about 90–95°C); a hard boil can cause milk to scorch and jaggery to taste bitter.
- Always strain jaggery syrup to remove natural impurities and ensure a smooth dessert.
- For a thicker, festival-style payasam, simmer 5 minutes longer after adding jaggery and rest 15 minutes before serving.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Adding jaggery while the milk is at a hard boil, causing curdling or a grainy texture.
✅ Fix: Reduce heat to low before adding jaggery and stir continuously; keep the mixture just below a boil.
❌ Skipping the jaggery straining step and ending up with grit in the dessert.
✅ Fix: Dissolve jaggery with measured water and strain through a fine sieve before adding to the pot.
❌ Under-cooking the rice so the payasam tastes thin and starchy.
✅ Fix: Simmer rice in water until very soft and beginning to break, then continue cooking in milk until creamy.
🧊 How to Store
Cool to room temperature within 1 hour, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on low with 50–100 ml milk, stirring often, because it thickens noticeably when chilled.
📅 Make Ahead
Cook the rice in water up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it; bring to room temperature before adding milk. You can also pre-make and strain the jaggery syrup, then refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
🍽️ Pairs Well With
- Banana chips
- filter coffee
- medu vada
- coconut chutney.
Regional Variations
- Kerala-style: Add 60 ml thick coconut milk at the end and reduce milk to 800 ml for a richer, coconut-forward payasam.
- Tamil Nadu style: Use 80 g roasted vermicelli instead of rice for semiya payasam and finish with a pinch of edible camphor (optional, 0.05 tsp).
- Karnataka style: Add 30 g grated dry coconut and 0.5 tsp roasted cumin powder for a more rustic, temple-style profile.
Ingredients
- 1000 mlwhole milk (preferably full-fat for a creamy body)
- 250 mlwater
- 80 graw rice (sona masoori or any non-parboiled medium-grain rice)
- 180 gjaggery (grated or chopped; dark jaggery gives deeper color)
- 18 gghee (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
- 25 gcashews (halved)
- 20 graisins
- 1 tspcardamom powder (freshly ground for best aroma)
- 0.5 tspfine sea salt (balances sweetness without tasting salty)
🔄 Substitutions
- raw rice→ vermicelli
- cashews→ blanched almonds
- whole milk→ 2% milk
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice in cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well. Add the rice and 250 ml water to a heavy-bottom pot and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until the grains are very soft and starting to break.
- 2
Pour in the milk and bring it to a gentle simmer, keeping the heat medium-low so it does not scorch. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom every 1–2 minutes, until the mixture looks slightly thickened and the rice is fully creamy.
- 3
In a small saucepan, warm the jaggery with 60 ml water over low heat for 3–4 minutes until fully dissolved. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove any grit, then set it aside for 2 minutes to cool slightly.
- 4
Lower the heat under the milk-rice mixture to low and stir in the strained jaggery syrup in a steady stream. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring continuously, until the payasam turns a deeper caramel color and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- 5
Heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat for 30–45 seconds until it shimmers. Fry the cashews for 60–90 seconds until golden, then add the raisins and cook for 20–30 seconds until they puff.
- 6
Stir the fried nuts and raisins along with all the ghee into the pot, then add cardamom powder and salt. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring well, then turn off the heat and rest the payasam for 10 minutes so it thickens to a silky, spoonable consistency.
🪪 Recipe Passport
Cultural Background
Payasam is a ceremonial sweet across South India, commonly prepared for temple offerings and celebratory feasts like Onam and weddings. Jaggery-based versions are especially prized for their earthy sweetness and traditional, festive character.
Regional Variations
Researched from multiple sources and validated by the Zaffaron editorial team. Every recipe is tested for accuracy, measurements, and cultural authenticity.
Nutrition per serving
Pairs well with
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