Paravannam (Paramannam/ Rice Pudding - Indian style)

Blogging Marathon# 27: Week 1/ Day 4
Theme: Occasions - Birthday
Dish: Paravannam (paramannam/ Rice Pudding)

No occasion is complete without a sweet dish in any Indian household. Paravannam or Rice pudding is probably the most made sweet/ dessert on any special occasion. There are probably infinite variations to this dish and I'm sure each household has its own version of it depending on which state in India you are from.
It is a must however for birthdays. The first thing my mom would ask is if I made paravannam for any of my kids birthday, not the cake, not any other special dishes that are made. It's this simple rice pudding that signifies the occasion along with new clothes to wear :-)

My mom makes one version with just sugar and the second one with a combination of jaggery and sugar. I have the second version today. But my jaggery is very golden and didn't change the color of the dish that much.

I cook the rice in the pressure cooker with a little more water than I usually use for regular rice, then cook it more in simmering milk until thick and creamy. Jaggery and sugar are added after turning off the heat because if added earlier there is a chance of milk curdling. If you don't have jaggery or don't like it, then simply use all sugar.

Ingredients: (Serves 3-4)

Rice - ½cup, washed and soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Milk - 2½cups
Jaggery - ¼cup (or more to taste)
Sugar - 3tbsp (or to taste)
Ground Cardamom - ½tsp
Dry fruits - 3tbsp (I used cashews, almonds and raisins)

Method:

• Cook rice with 1½ - 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker. 
• Roast the nuts in 1tbsp ghee until golden. Keep aside until ready to use.
• Bring the milk to a simmer in a thick bottomed saucepan; add the cooked rice and cook on medium-low flame, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency.
• Add ground cardamom, mix well and turn off the heat. 
• Finally add the jaggery and sugar, mix well until they dissolve. Add the roasted nuts and serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. 

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 27.