Simple Things

It is exactly three weeks since the shelter in place order went into effect in our area. The order has since then been extended to May 3rd and school canceled for the remainder of the year. The number of people affected by the virus continues to multiply, the death toll climbs daily, and no one seems to have any viable solution besides increasingly restrictive measures that have fundamentally changed life as we knew it. Our local health officials are now recommending that we cover our mouth and nose if we happen to go outside. There are no face masks, gloves, or hand sanitizers to be found anywhere and stepping outdoors without these protections seems to be tempting fate itself. I find myself watching videos on how to clean and disinfect groceries and wondering whether the heat setting in my dryer is high enough to kill germs. This is now our new normal.

I have always been one for family celebrations. Birthdays and anniversaries mark the high points of any calendar year. In these bleak times, I feel that it is even more important to celebrate these simple occasions and continue with the associated family traditions. We had a birthday in the family recently and as is customary for us, we celebrated with the birthday boy's favorite home-cooked meal. And, of course, no birthday ritual would be complete without the celebratory cake or, if you happen to be Bengali, payesh (rice pudding). The children are typically indulged with both celebratory desserts on their birthdays. The grown-ups, exercising some restraint on account of their increasing age and girth, opt for only the payesh.

Payesh has many alter egos in Indian regional cuisine. Called kheer in northern and western India and payasam in southern India, each variation is distinguished by a signature regional touch. The Bengali version involves cooking fragrant, short-grain rice with thickened milk, sugar, nuts, raisins, and flavorings such as bay leaf, green cardamom, rose water, or camphor. Payesh holds an elevated status among Bengali sweets, often offered to the gods during religious ceremonies. The rich, yet simple combination of rice, milk, and sugar is considered auspicious in Bengali homes. Payesh is the first morsel of solid food fed to an infant at their annaprasan and thereafter, served on every birthday.

The payesh I made this time is a seasonal variation where the sugar is replaced by patali goor (date palm jaggery), a winter delicacy unique to Bengal. It is made by slowly simmering fresh date palm sap over wood fires till it reaches a consistency like molasses. The distilled product is poured into moulds and allowed to harden into densely-packed discs. The dark brown wheels of patali goor that start showing up in Calcutta around December is the star ingredient in many of the sweets prepared during the winter season. The caramelized smokiness of the goor adds a wonderful richness to any dessert. When added to payesh, it serves both as a sweetener and an essence, rendering the presence of the usual flavorings like green cardamom, unnecessary. In fact, in this version of payesh, it is probably best to allow the goor to be the star of the show and savor its seasonal taste and aroma.

What You Need:
1 litre milk (Full-fat is probably best, but I make do with 2% if that is all I have in the fridge)
1/2 cup fragrant, short-grain rice (like Gobindobhog or Kala Jeera)
2 cup patali goor (broken into chunks)
8-10 whole cashews (halved and each half cut in two)

Directions:
Wash rice thoroughly, draining out the cloudy water. Soak washed rice in 1/2 cup water.
Coat the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pan with a thin layer of water. Add the milk.
Bring milk to boil over medium-high heat, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the milk comes to a boil, drain rice and add to milk.
Stir frequently to ensure that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
After about ten minutes, dip a spoon into the milk and pick up a couple of grains of rice to check if they are halfway cooked.
Lower the heat and add goor and cashew pieces. Stir to make sure that all the chunks are completely melted.
Payesh is ready when milk is reduced to half its original volume.

Serve chilled.