Slow Cooker Kheer(Indian Style Rice pudding in Slow cooker)

Blogging Marathon #43: Week 2/ Day 3

Theme: Festival Recipes

Dish: Slow Cooker Pal Payasam/Crock Pot Kheer

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#43Ingredients:

Today's recipe on the theme of 'Festival Recipes' is a fuss - free dessert that is made using the slow cooker. 'Paal Payasam' or 'Kheer' is a traditional Indian dessert dish that is made by slow cooking rice in milk until the rice is soft and melts in your mouth and the milk reduces down to a pinkish orange color. Traditionally this involves watching the milk for hour to ensure it does not boil over or burn. This method of using the slow cooker means you can fix it and focus on other dishes you are making for your special occasion instead of poring over a pot of milk. Here is the recipe..

Place the milk, basmati rice, sugar in the crock pot. Slightly bruise the cardamom pods and throw them into the crock pot. Place the crock pot in the low setting and leave unattended for up to 6 hours. At the end of the 6 hours, you will see the milk turn a pinkish orange color and the rice cooked to a super soft texture. There might be some browning on the edge of the milk, but it will not affect the flavor of the dish. Before serving, remove the cardamom pods. Let chill completely.

Serve cold for best taste. I like to leave the kheer as is - to keep the flavor of milk take center stage. But if you like you can top with saffron, chopped pistachios, almonds or cashews.

Verdict: This is an amazing and authentic kheer for just throwing things into the crock pot and walking away. It has an infused aroma from the cardamom, but the true center stage of this dish is the sweetness and the richness from the slow reduced milk. A truly rich and enticing dessert - with no effort at all.