Nalen (Khejur) Gurer Payes - Bengali Style Pudding with Date Palm Jaggery

Yesterday was festival time for all of India – Poush (Makar) Sangkranti for Bengalis, Pongal in South India and Lohri in North India. In Bengal, availability of Nalen Gur (Date Palm Jaggery) makes it possible to sweeten up this occasion with what is called Nalen Gurer Payes (Bengali Style Pudding with date Jaggery). I remember, in my childhood, we used to wait for these winter months because fresh Nalen Gur is available in these times only. Nalen gur can be hardened to form something known as Patali or it can be used in liquid form to sweeten up our breakfast with almost anything.

Since this wonderful stuff is not available in Bangalore we bring it all the way from Calcutta to make this item. It takes a lot of time to prepare but the aroma itself is so good that you will feel all your efforts are rewarded.

Preparation Time: - 10 min

Cooking Time: - 40~45 min (depends upon the quality of the rice. Some of them gets boiled easily whereas some takes more time)

Servings: - 4~5

Ingredients:

• GobindoBhog or Jeera or Basmati Rice – 250 gm.
• Full cream milk – 1 L
• Milkmaid or Mithaimaid – ½ cup ( optional to make the mild thicker)
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• Raisins 15 nos.
• Cashew Nuts – 8~10 large sized
• 4 bay leaves
• Fresh Nalen Gur  (Date palm jaggery)  - 1 ½ cup ( I brought it from Calcutta in hardened form which is called Patali which is melted by heating )
• ½ cup sugar  (The combined amount of sugar and Nalen Gur depends upon your sweet tooth – my husband like it more whereas for me the above amount is perfectly right)

Preparation:-

1. Wash and Soak the raisins in a cup of water. Keep aside.
   
2. If you are using Patali (hardened form of the Date Palm Jaggery) like me then please heat the same in microwave or in a separate bowl with a little water in gas to make it liquid. Keep aside.
   
3. Wash the rice and drain the water. You may pour the rice on newspaper to dry.
4. Pour the milk in a thick bottom pan and boil it for 5 minutes
   
5. Take a separate pan, heat the ghee and first fry the cashews till golden brown. Drain and keep aside.
6. In the same pan add the rice and fry in ghee till they change colour to a dense white.
   
7. Pour the rice in the milk. Stir and mix well. Turn the gas to medium flame and stir continuously to prevent the mixture from spilling.
   
8. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes so that the rice becomes soft. Now this can take more time. depending upon the type of rice you are using. Gobindobhog takes a little bit more time than zeera rice or Basmati. You can take a few of the rice and check by pressing them.
9. At this point you can pour the milkmaid (optional) and stir to mix properly. I did not use this as I like the payes in less thicker form. But you can use it to your liking.
10. Now add the cashews and raisins.
11. Boil for another 5-10 minutes and then pour the sugar. Stir and mix it well.
12. At last switch off the gas and pour the jaggery. You can add directly the patali here but that risk curdling the milk and spoil it. Hence it is better to make the liquid jaggery earlier as described it step 2.
    
    
    
    
13. Again boil for 1~2 minutes in low flame.
14. Allow it to cool down
    

That’s all folks. Freeze and serve cold.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all eyes and ears.