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    Home » Paayasam/Kheer » Paal Payasam | Rice Kheer Recipe

    Paal Payasam | Rice Kheer Recipe

    Posted on January 12, 2022 · Last Updated on October 29, 2022 · By Srividhya G · 12 Comments

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    paal payasam with text overlay for pinterest

    Delicious and easy-to-make 3-ingredient paal payasam, Indian milk kheer prepared with rice, milk, and sugar! Rich and creamy kheer perfect for any occasion. 

    close up shot of paal payasam served in glass jars with spoon inside

    What is paal payasam

    Paal means milk, and payasam means pudding/kheer in Tamil. Call this pal payasam or arisi paal payasam or paal payasam, milk pudding, or rice kheer; this humble and delicious dessert is perfect for any festival or occasion.

    Jump to:
    • What is paal payasam
    • Temple-style payasam
    • Ingredients
    • Dietary specifications
    • How to make paal payasam
    • Recipe notes
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Explore other payasam recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    My mom is my cooking guru, and I learned all the basics and many South Indian recipes from her, and this paal payasam is among them. I add my twists and make slight variations to my mom’s recipes, but I follow the recipe to T when it comes to this paal payasam. My mom doesn’t add any ghee-roasted nuts, raisins, cardamom, cloves, or other flavorings. But still, the payasam tastes delicious. The magic of slow cooking the rice with milk does the trick. 

    Temple-style payasam

    This payasam recipe is more like the Ambalapuzha paal payasam or the Kerala Sri Krishna temple paal payasam with white raw rice. The traditional Kerala payasam calls for red rice/chemba rice for the kheer, but we typically use short grain raw rice (pachaarisi), either ponni or sona masoori. 

    We first roast the rice and soak it in water till the milk boils and then add the rice to the milk and let the rice cook in the milk. When the rice is well cooked, we add sugar and cook further, and that’s it. 

    I know it needs constant attention, and it’s time-consuming. But as the saying goes, no pain, no gain, it’s worth the time, folks. The slow cooking brings out all the creamy goodness and deliciousness. So give this pal payasam a try, and I am sure you will love it. But if you are looking for some quick recipes, check out semi-homemade vermicelli kheer (Semiya payasam) or Instant Pot rice kheer. 

    Ingredients

    Rice – I used ½ cup of raw sona masoori rice (pachaarisi). You need at least ⅓ to ½ cup of rice for this kheer. We have always made this kheer with a short-grain raw rice variety, but you can also use Gobindobhog rice and basmati rice (for my Instant Pot version, I have used basmati rice). If you can source red chemba rice, go for it by all means.

    Milk: We need 5 cups of milk, and I prefer whole milk for this kheer. But I have tried this with 2% reduced-fat milk but not with low fat or fat-free milk. 

    Sugar: We need ¾ cup of raw sugar crystals, and for this, paal payasam sugar works the best. For a sweeter version, increase the sugar measure to 1 cup. You can swap the sugar with plant-based sweeteners. 

    Optional – If you want to further flavor the kheer, add a pinch of ground cardamom, one crushed green cardamom, or a big fat pinch of saffron. Do not go overboard with cardamom or saffron.

    overhead shot of milk pudding served in glass jars

    Dietary specifications

    This arisi paal payasam is a gluten-free and nut-free kheer. You can refrigerate the kheer for two days, but it thickens as it cools down. So add more milk to adjust the consistency before serving.

    How to make paal payasam

    • Add the rice and roast the rice in a heavy bottom pan or kadai (I used my uruli).
    roasting the rice
    • Roast until the grains bulge and the color turns slightly like below. Transfer the roasted rice, add 1 cup of water and soak the rice till the milk comes to a boil.
    roasted rice
    • In the same uruli, add the milk and bring it to a boil.
    bringing the milk to boil
    • When the milk boils (in Tamil, we say pongu varumbodu), drain the water from the rice and add the drained rice to the milk. 
    milk boiling
    • (Refer the picture colloage below) Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the rice cook in the milk. Keep a wooden ladle on top of the uruli to not overspill the milk. Keep stirring in between, and during the process, collect the frothy cream, scrape the sides, and add it back to the payasam. We are not making basundi here, but collecting and adding the cream back into the kheer enhances the flavor. Note – It took 35 minutes for the rice to cook. The timing might vary depending upon the vessel and the heat setting.  
    • When the rice is cooked, add the sugar, mix well, and mash the rice. Reduce the heat to low, cook for 12 to 15 minutes, and turn off the heat. Serve this kheer warm or cold. 
    kheer stepset

    Recipe notes

    • Adjust the sugar as per your sweet preference.
    • The kheer thickens, as it cools. If needed, add boiled milk as required before serving.
    • Refer to the faq section for more details.
    • If you are looking for pressure cooking options, check out my Instant Pot rice kheer.
    arisi pal payasam served in three glass tumblers with flowers on the side on a wooden board

    Frequently asked questions

    Which rice to use for this kheer?

    You can use raw short-grained rice like sona masoori or ponni or Gobindobhog or long-grained basmati rice. Red rice works too. If you are interested in the milk-based pudding with other ingredients, check our my poha/aval payasam, tapioca pearls/javvarisi paal payasam, quinoa paal payasam, and vermicelli/semiya paal payasam. 

    Can I use low-fat milk for this kheer?

    I highly recommend whole milk, but you can make the kheer with 2% reduced-fat milk. I won’t recommend fat-free milk. I haven’t tested this recipe with any plant-based milk like almond milk or coconut milk.

    Can I add nuts and other flavors? 

    It is not necessary, but there is no harm in adding a pinch of saffron strands or cardamom or rose water. As I mentioned before, do not go overboard with these ingredients. You can also roast a few cashews and raisins or other dry fruits in ghee and add to the kheer.

    Can I use erythritol or other sugar replacements?

    Honestly, I haven’t tested this recipe with sugar replacements. You can very well use it, and if using erythritol or monk sweet, I would go with ½ cup of sugar. Alternatively, you can also use condensed milk.

    Explore other payasam recipes

    • GasagasePayasaRecipe
      Gasagase Payasa | Poppy Seeds Kheer
    • Madagne Recipe
      Instant Pot Madagane | Konkani Special Chana Dal Kheer
    • square image of moong dal kheer served in a blue bowl placed on a red mat
      Pasi Paruppu Payasam | Moong Dal Kheer | Paruppu Payasam
    • Side shot of the two white bowls full of the delicious Vegan Carrot Kheer or Carrot Payasam
      Vegan Carrot Kheer | Carrot Payasam

    PS:  If you try this paal payasam, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.

    📖 Recipe

    rice kheer served in single serving glass jars with flowers on the side
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    5 from 1 vote

    Paal Payasam (Rice Kheer)

    Delicious and easy-to-make 3-ingredient paal payasam, Indian milk kheer prepared with rice, milk, and sugar!  
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 277kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;

    • ½ cup raw rice I used sona masoori
    • 5 cups milk 2% or whole milk
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 1 cup water for soaking the roasted rice
    • a pinch of cardamom powder optional

    Instructions

    • Add the rice and roast the rice in a heavy bottom pan or kadai (I used my uruli).
    • Roast until the grains bulge and the color turns slightly like below. Transfer the roasted rice, add 1 cup of water and let it soak till the milk comes to a boil.
    • In the same uruli, add the milk and bring it to a boil.
    • When the milk boils (in Tamil, we say pongu varumbodu), drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the milk.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the rice cook in the milk. Keep a wooden ladle on top of the uruli to not overspill the milk. Keep stirring in between, and during the process, collect the frothy cream, scrape the sides, and add it back to the payasam. We are not making basundi here, but collecting and adding the cream back into the kheer enhances the flavor. Note – It took 35 minutes for the rice to cook. The timing might vary depending upon the vessel and the heat setting.
    • When the rice is cooked, add the sugar, mix well, and mash the rice. Reduce the heat to low, cook for 12 to 15 minutes, and turn off the heat.
    • Serve this kheer warm or cold.

    Notes

    • Adjust the sugar as per your sweet preference.
    • As the kheer cools, it becomes thick. If needed, add boiled milk as required before serving.
    • Refer to the faq section for more details.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 329IU | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Update Notes: Originally posted in 2014. Now updated the post with recipe card and step-wise pictures.

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    Filed Under: Diwali, Festivals, Navratri, Paayasam/Kheer, Pongal, Vinayaka Chaturthi Tagged With: arisi payasam, Kheer, paal payasam, payasam, Rice

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. journeyofmythoughts says

      January 04, 2017 at 1:41 am

      Even with all my love for Amma’s Annam Payasam, i never got it right. This time i tried yours with just a minor change. And viola, first ever edible kheer from me! Thank you Vidya for the kheer and for reminding me a story from my life which happened exactly on the 16th of July 2011. It now serves as my blog topic of the day too. ?Danke.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 05, 2017 at 8:31 am

        Yayyy…Thanks a lot Sahasra for try it out… Glad you liked it. :-) :-)

        Reply
        • journeyofmythoughts says

          January 05, 2017 at 8:40 am

          I did try vidhya. I loved it. It is so easy. I wonder why it failed every single time i tried before.
          I made it yesterday. I had the same payasam for lunch and dinner. Thank you so much. Your post reminded me of a lot of memories about which i am just typing in a post.
          And tomorrow it is going to be your Dal Paratha. I made sprouts Dal today only to make those Dal Parathas tomorrow. Thanks hey. ?

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            January 05, 2017 at 5:14 pm

            I am so glad you liked it and it brought back great memories. Can’t wait to know how dal paratha came out. :-)

            Reply
    2. Bhavani says

      July 29, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      My mom also says for this paal payasam.. Paal Manam only do dont need to add ghee or nuts or anything else. Looks yum!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 29, 2016 at 10:20 pm

        :-) Oh yeah pa very true. Thanks :-)

        Reply
    3. Aarohi says

      July 31, 2015 at 3:22 am

      Tempting recipe!! yummy.

      Reply
    4. ashreyamom says

      July 16, 2014 at 12:13 am

      add nuts.. :P

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        July 16, 2014 at 5:57 am

        Yeah but for some reason amma doesn’t add in this one. Semiya n sabudana paayasamna I add panuvanga :-) should ask her

        Reply
    5. Traditionally Modern Food says

      July 15, 2014 at 7:16 pm

      Can someone say no to rice kheer.. Yum yum

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        July 15, 2014 at 9:30 pm

        Yup.. slurp slurp :-)

        Reply
        • Traditionally Modern Food says

          July 15, 2014 at 9:31 pm

          :)

          Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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