Rice Puddings, From Famous Indian desserts to Perfumed Sweet Persian Gems

From the Persian shores to our own country, this article chronicles the hearty rice puddings that are made with plenty of milk that softens the rice and are a delight to bite into. Kicking it off with kheer, which sprung from one of the Chaar Dhaam sites, in Odisha, Puri’s Jagannath Temple, we move to Iran with their equally delicious rice puddings known for their striking appearance and fragrant aroma. Dig in and do try their recipes.

1. Kheer

Who doesn't know this ultimate comfort sweet dish that is made for almost all special occasions from birthdays, weddings, and festivities to special ceremonies in different parts of our country? This rice pudding is mostly tied to religious ceremonies, temples and mythological legends, and sources point its origin to be from Odisha, in particular Lord Jagannath’s temple in Puri. Back in the day it was prepared as an offering to the Gods that was picked up by other temples too. It is made with rice cooked in milk with primarily a pod or two of cardamom dropped into it and a little sugar. Kheer has one of the most easy sweet recipes and depending on the person or place, dried fruits and nuts and a pinch of saffron also are added to this hearty sweet dish.

2. Pongal

Moving to the land of the temples this time, we mean Tamil Nadu, they bring a delicious rice pudding to the table. Sri Lanka, with a substantial Tamilian population, are the original makers of Pongal rice pudding and the name comes from Thai Pongal, which is a festival celebrated on January 14th, that symbolizes the end of the harvest season. Traditionally pongal is cooked in a clay pot, over an open fire with milk and water added first. It's said to be a family affair as the rice is added by each member to the bubbling pot with mung daal, jaggery and cashews. And as the concoction boils over, it's met with cheers as this signals the whole family being blessed with good luck and prosperity.

3. Phirni

Find Phirni under famous indian desserts and the rice is ground to a fine powder before being cooked unlike traditional rice pudding which use whole rice. Phirni bears resemblance to the Persian Shir birinj, that was brought by the Mughals to India. The pulverised rice is cooked in milk to which almonds, saffron, and cardamom are added and cooked. It is served in small clay bowls or shikoras. It is prepared during local festivities mostly Diwali and Karwa Chauth, so, count it under simple sweet recipes at home that can be make quickly.

4. Sakkarai pongal

Meaning sweet pongal, it is made on the occasion of Makar Sankranti it is also called Chakkara Pongali, the name coming from the generous use of sugar in it. This sweet rice pudding is rich in ghee and is made with just harvested rice, jaggery, ghee, dried coconut, sesame seeds, raisins, milk, and cashew nuts. The clay pot cooks these ingredients over an open fire, facing East where the sun rises to honor the Sun God. Pongal is meant to boil over and families watch over as the concoction boils over to be blessed with good fortune and prosperity.

5. Sholeh zard

Dyed yellow from the use of saffron that also lends an impeccable fragrance aided with rose water, Sholeh zard is of Persian origin, that is modern-day Iran. Sholeh refers to the texture of this rice pudding which is thick and luscious and zard refers to its yellow colour. Like kheer Sholeh zard too needs to be cooked for quite some time for the rice to turn into mush; it uses slivered nuts and cardamom pods, sometimes cinnamon in it. You will find these being prepared during Ramadan, but also made throughout the year for ceremonies and special events. Iran is known for its saffron and this sweet dish uses plenty of it with a decoration of slivered nuts, either almonds or pistachios and rose petals. It's usually cooked en masse and scooped up into individual portions during family meals and has one of the most easy sweet recipes.

6. Shir birinj

Dubbed “milk broth” for a reason, Shir birinj or Shir berenj, has a long history in Iran and while the exact date of its origin is unknown, a renowned 9th-century Iranian poet, Ferdowsi called this rice pudding “Shirba” which literally means milk soup. This dish is eaten at Iftar during Ramadan and when eaten with cinnamon is said to aid in digestion. It’s one of the easiest-to-cook sweet dishes with a rustic appeal to it, being made with just rice and milk, these days a little rose water is also added, and is the perfect food for infants who have been introduced to whole foods.