Goan Traditional Pais (Rice Kheer)

Step 1: Prepare Coconut Milk

In a blender jar, add 85 grams of freshly grated coconut, 5 peeled cardamom seeds, and 0.5 cup of water. Blend lightly for 1-2 minutes, ensuring it's not a smooth paste. Strain this mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract 1 cup of thick coconut milk. Set this aside.

Step 2: Extract Thin Coconut Milk

Transfer the remaining coconut pulp back into the blender jar. Add 1 cup of water and blend lightly for about 1 minute. Strain this through a sieve into another bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract the thin coconut milk. Repeat this process one more time with another 1 cup of water and the same pulp to extract more thin coconut milk. Squeeze the pulp with your fist to extract as much liquid as possible. You should get about 2 to 2.5 cups of thin coconut milk in total.

Step 3: Cook the Rice

Wash 75 grams of basmati rice thoroughly with water 2-3 times. Place the washed rice in a cooker vessel. Add 2 cups of the thin coconut milk to the rice. Place this vessel inside a pressure cooker with some water at the bottom. Close the cooker lid and cook for 2 whistles. Once cooked, turn off the gas and let the cooker cool down completely.

Step 4: Roast Dry Fruits

While the cooker cools, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small tadka pan on a gas burner. Add 1/4 cup of almonds and stir. Then add 1/4 cup of split cashews and stir. Finally, add 1 tablespoon of raisins and roast until golden brown and aromatic. Remove the roasted dry fruits into a bowl and set aside.

Step 5: Combine Rice and Jaggery

Once the pressure cooker has cooled, open it and take out the cooked rice. Transfer all the cooked rice into a medium-sized pot. Add the remaining 0.5 cup of thin coconut milk to the pot. Add 100 grams of finely cut jaggery. Add about 0.5 cup of water and mix well. Do not turn on the flame yet.

Step 6: Melt Jaggery and Add Flavor

Turn on the gas flame to medium and place the pot on it. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the jaggery completely melts and mixes with the rice, which will take about 4-5 minutes. Stir 1-2 times in between to prevent sticking. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Break a small turmeric leaf into pieces and add it to the kheer, mixing thoroughly. The turmeric leaf provides a unique aromatic fragrance.

Step 7: Final Assembly and Boil

Add the 1 cup of thick coconut milk to the kheer and stir. Rinse the bowl of thick coconut milk with a little water and add it to the kheer to ensure no milk is wasted. Stir everything well. Add the roasted dry fruits (almonds, cashews, raisins) to the kheer and mix. Cover the pot with a lid and let it come to a gentle boil.

Step 8: Serve Pais

Once the kheer starts boiling, remove the lid and check. The rice should be absolutely soft and the kheer will be thick and aromatic. Turn off the gas. Cover the pot and let it rest for some time before serving. Serve the delicious, sweet, and aromatic Goan Pais warm or chilled.

• Use fresh coconut for the best flavor and texture in the coconut milk.

• Do not make a smooth paste when blending coconut for milk; a slightly coarse texture is fine.

• If cooking a larger quantity of rice, cook for 3 whistles in the pressure cooker instead of 2.

• Overcooked rice is acceptable for this kheer as it will be mashed with jaggery and coconut milk.

• Do not add too much salt, as the jaggery provides sweetness and balances the flavor.

• Instead of Basmati rice, you can use any fragrant rice like Indrayani or Amba Mohar, or even regular rice.

• Rice can also be cooked in an open pan instead of a pressure cooker.