By Garima Johar
September 20, 2026
Turn your Ganpati bhog into a celebration of regional sweets with a bowl of South Indian payasam. Made with pantry essentials like rice, milk, and jaggery, payasam is easy to make and super indulgent.
½ cup rice 1 litre of milk ¾ cup jaggery 2 tbsp ghee ½ tsp cardamom powder 2 tbsp chopped cashews 1 tbsp raisins 2 tbsp grated coconut
Rinse the rice and cook it with milk on a low heat.
Add in jaggery and stir till it melts. Add to the cooked rice and let the payasam simmer.
Mix in cardamom powder once you get a thicker consistency.
Garnish with roasted cashews and grated coconut, and your payasam will be ready.