Paal Payasam in Instant Pot

Paal Payasam is an Indian rice pudding or kheer recipe that can easily be made in the Instant Pot. Serve this easy yet delicious milk pudding on any festive day!

This Instant pot milk and rice pudding is rich, creamy, and indulgent in every way! You must try it for yourself!

What is Payasam

When it comes to certain foods, I am a true blue South Indian. If in savory, Dosa is my favorite snack, then in desserts, it has to be this dish called Paal Payasam.

Paal in Tamil means milk and payasam is derived from the Sanskrit word Payasa or Payasam which means dessert made from milk.

Kheer is a very common and popular dessert recipe in Indian households. There are many varieties of kheer recipes across different Indian cuisines.

Payasam is also referred to as Kheer or Pudding in the south of India. We associate the word Payasam with any milk-based pudding that is prepared during all happy and festive occasions.

Paal Payasam/Kheer is a South Indian recipe and is typically made with just milk, sugar, and rice. It's rich, creamy, and extremely flavorful to taste.

In a traditional South Indian meal, any kind of payasam is served first at any formal or auspicious occasion. It is also offered as a prasadam in temples. 

My Paati (mom's mom) made the world's best Paal Payasam, even better than my mom. Whenever we would visit her, she would make this sweet treat for us.

Even in the north of India, they make something similar called Chawal (means rice in Hindi) ki Kheer.

A wedding favorite dessert

This dessert is most in demand during South Indian weddings. Everyone waits eagerly for this to be served and some even hold friendly competitions to see how many cups of paal payasam can one drink.

In fact, the wedding caterer's worth is decided based on the quality of paal payasam his team serves. Many times, a wedding is fondly remembered by the quality of desserts served.

That is why I was very particular about who the caterer would be at my wedding. Even as a kid, whenever I was taken to any such social gatherings, I was only excited to have paal payasam.

This payasam recipe is an ode to all the paal payasams I have had!

Why make it in the Instant Pot

Traditionally, paal payasam is slow-cooked on a stove-top. It takes hours to keep stirring the milk to get that creamy consistency. It's time-consuming and involves a lot of elbow work.

Ever since I discovered that I can make kheer in the Instant pot in half the time and effort without compromising on the taste and texture, I have not gone back to the old way!

You don’t need to stand in front of the stove and keep on stirring the milk as we do for the conventional paal payasam.

I also feel that the milk boils well in it giving this payasam a natural creamy look without having to add any condensed milk.

Also since everyone loves their Instant Pot and wants more recipes made in it, I wanted to share the IP version of this milk and rice pudding with you.

• can be made in half the time and effort
• an easy indulgent dessert even for beginners
• it's liteally a dump-and-go kind of recipe
• no condensed milk required
• texture and flavor not compromised
• make it instantly in 30 minutes
• needs basic pantry essentials
• can also be made in an Indian pressure cooker or on a stovetop

Milk and creamer - This is a traditional milk-based dessert. Use full-fat whole milk and coffee creamer or half & half to give this dessert a creamy luscious texture.

You can also use evaporated milk or heavy cream instead of coffee creamer.

Rice - Use any kind of rice like Mahatma, Sona masoori, surti kolam, or even basmati rice. Jasmine rice may not be the right for this recipe.

Sugar - I have used regular white sugar but feel free to use any variety of sugar or jaggery. The color of this payasam will change a bit depending on the sugar used.

Nuts - Add a mix of assorted nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios along with raisins. No Indian dessert is complete without these. It adds crunch and flavor to this milk pudding.

Other aromatic ingredients that we need to make this Instant pot milk and rice kheer/pudding are cardamom powder or pods, saffron, and ghee.

1. Turn on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add ghee to the pot and fry mixed chopped nuts like cashews, almonds, and pistachios along with raisins for a minute.
   • You can also roughly chop them and add. I use this nut chopper for that and it is very useful.
2. Add raw rice to the pot and saute it for another 30-40 seconds. I keep it whole but if you want you can coarsely grind it and add.
3. Then add sugar to the pot.
4. Followed by milk and creamer. Bring it to a boil. then hit the cancel button.
5. Close the Instant Pot with the lid. Position the valve in the seal position. Select Porridge mode and cook it for 20 minutes.
   • When the Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Then open the lid.
   • Mash the rice a bit to make the kheer more creamy.
6. Top it with saffron, and cardamom powder. Mix it all together and cook it for a minute in saute mode again. If it is too thick, add little milk and mix it all together.

Serving suggestions

Pal Payasam can be served warm or chilled. Garnish it with chopped nuts, saffron, or even edible flowers before serving. Serve it at the beginning or towards the end of a meal.

Do keep in mind that this Indian milk pudding will thicken as it cools. You can always add little milk to adjust the consistency.

Serve this Instant Pot milk and rice pudding/kheer on any happy or festive occasion or holidays like Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, Pongal, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Holi, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New years!

This is also a great recipe to make when serving large crowds. Pour it in mini individual cups and serve. It truly is an indulgent dessert that's loved by all ages.

We also shared this payasam recipe on our first Podcast episode of Cookilicious Kitchen Stories. You can listen to it here. 

Tips, recommendations, and suggestions

To make it in the Instant Pot, there is no need to soak the rice prior. But if making it on the stovetop, then soak it for 20-30 minutes, pat dry and then saute in ghee.

Roasting rice in ghee gives it a nice toasty aroma. Do not skip that step. You can also add sugar along with saffron and cardamom instead of adding it before.

Do not add too much rice else it will become a thick rice pudding. Adjust the sugar quantity to your liking. Ghee can be substituted with any cooking oil or butter.

Add half a cup of water while pressure cooking. This will prevent the milk from burning at the bottom of the pot and you will not get the burn message.

Milk can curdle if the Instant pot and the sealing ring are not clean before starting to cook. I keep two separate sealing rings - one for savory and one for dessert recipes.

Always release the pressure naturally. If you do a quick release, milk will splatter all over.

When you open the lid after the kheer is cooked, check the consistency. If it is too thick, add little milk or creamer, mix it all together and cook in saute mode for a minute.

If the payasam is on the watery side, you can add 2-3 tbsp butter or ghee and bring it to a boil by turning on the saute mode.

The final consistency of this Indian rice pudding should be thick and creamy yet of drinking consistency.

To make it nut-free, just skip adding all the nuts. Raisins can also be skipped if you don't want to add them. In fact, the traditional recipe is naturally nut-free.

To make it in the stovetop

Wash and soak the rice for 20-30 minutes. In a heavy-bottomed pan saute the rice in ghee along with the nuts. Add milk and creamer and cook till the rice turns soft.

Keep the flame on medium and keep stirring the pot to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.

Add cardamom powder, saffron, and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. The milk will thicken and reduce in half eventually.

In a separate pan, fry the mixed nuts along with raisins in ghee and pour it over the payasam. It's ready to be served.

Want to give this kheer or payasam recipe an upgrade? Add a little rose essence and rose syrup towards the end of the recipe. It will give the payasam a nice pink hue and a rose flavor.

Want to add condensed milk

If you like the flavor of condensed milk or milkmaid, and want to add it to the kheer, here's what you can do:

In the Instant Pot method, skip adding the creamer and sugar. Follow the other steps of the recipe. When you open the Instant pot, add the condensed milk along with saffron and cardamom.

For the stovetop method, once the milk boils, reduce the heat and add the condensed milk. The quantity depends on the sweetness you want. If adding condensed milk, skip the sugar and creamer.

A lighter version

If you want to keep a check on the calories, use 2% milk instead of whole milk. Add more milk instead of creamer. Use brown rice and jaggery. Reduce or skip adding nuts.

This kheer/payasam recipe will not be as rich and creamy but you will still get your kheer-fix!

Substitutes for rice

Substitute rice with sabudana or sago pearls, quinoa, vermicelli, lentils, coconut, or even brown rice. Some even add grated veggies like beetroot and carrot.

Adjust the cooking time according to the ingredient you are using.

How to make it vegan

I have made the vegan version of payasam/rice kheer and shared the recipe in my cookbook called The Essential Vegan Indian Cookbook.

You can substitute whole milk with any non-dairy milk and use a vegan creamer or condensed milk. Substitute regular ghee with vegan ghee in this kheer/payasam recipe.

How to store it

Storing this Indian rice pudding is very easy. It stays well in the fridge for 5-6 days. Store it in an airtight container. It also freezes well.

Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then rest it on the countertop for some time until the payasam regains its normal consistency. You can reheat the kheer if needed.

Festive dessert ideas

The festive season is upon us. I love this time of the year. Everyone is in a happy mood and is in the mood to indulge.

With all the Indian festivals and long weekends lined up, here are some desserts that will make you a star in front of your family and friends

• Chai Cheesecake (Eggless and No-Bake)
• Guava Ice Cream
• Betroot Halwa
• Paneer Gujiya Shells
• Carrot Halwa Ice Cream
• Rose Sandesh
• Apple & Pistachio Mousse
• No-Churn Rose Gulkand Ice Cream
• Sweet Potato Puranpoli
• Aval Kesari | Beaten Rice Pudding
• Instant Coconut Ladoos
• Vegan Rose Basundi
• Chocolate Rava Ladoo
• Sweetcorn Pudding
• Instant Rose Coconut Ladoo
• Thandai Chocolate Bark