BAMBOO RICE KHEER / DESSERT - HOW TO MAKE MULAYARI PAYASAM

Bamboo rice kheer / Mulayari payasam / Moongil Arisi payasam is a delicious dessert made of bamboo seeds which is available in most of the organic stores or from gandhi gramam where most of the popular and fast moving products like honey, green tea, bamboo rice, brahmi powder, thaali powder, lemon grass oil  are sold. The payasam / dessert with this rice is very frangrant, delicious witha crunchy texture. A must try healthy dessert or payasam recipe and is a great alternative rice dessert recipe for diabetic patients. 

Bambu rice / Mulayari is much rich in protein when compared to paddy rice and wheat. A wide range of delicacies like payasam/kheer , puttu / steam cake, uppumaavu are made of bamboo rice(mulayari) which are high on demand among tourists and foreigners. Bamboo rice has remarkable nutritious value. It helps to flush out toxins from the body. 

Bamboo rice collected from the seed of  flowered bamboos has become the major source of income for tribal living in the wayanad, Kerala. They collect (the tribal woman and children) bamboo seed for earning their daily bread. The most interesting fact is that the bamboo groves flower once in a lifetime (about 40 years) and often die after flowering. Its a nature's  hidden treasure.

Bamboo rice is pungent, nutritious and strong. Bamboo rice can also be served as Asian style Risotto, or  as a side when the cook wants a striking color to the meal. Then rice is actually moist and sticky when cooked well. But it will be brittle when cooked to that normal level which really makes the dish heavenly.

INGREDIENTS(serves 8 cups)

Bamboo rice / Mula ari                            - 1 cup, soak in water
Sago seed (sabu dana)                              -  4 tbsp, soak in water
Milkmaid / condensed milk                      - half a cup (you can also add jaggery instead)
Thick coconut milk                             - 1 cup (or half a cup of milk)
Thin coconut milk                                      -  2 cups ( can add milk instead. If so, add 1 cup of milk mixed with 1 cup of water)
Dry ginger powder                                     - quarter tsp
Cardamom powder                                     - quarter tsp
Salt
Ghee / butter
Cashews, almonds, raisins for garnishing

PREPARATION

• Soak bamboo rice and sago seed in water in separate bowls for 2 hours. ( can soak more for easy cooking). Clean them properly and pressure cook them in 2 cups of thin coconut milk  until 2 whistle. Now the bamboo rice will be 80 % done.
• Open the lid when the pressure releases and add a pinch of salt and milkmaid (condensed milk) to it. Combine very well.
• Let it cook on a medium flame for few minutes. If it is more thick, you can add some warm water. (If you are using jaggery, do not boil more after adding jaggery. So you must boil the bamboo rice more before adding the jaggery). 
• When done, add dried ginger powder, cardamom powder and mix well .
• Finally add 1 cup of thick coconut milk to it .Let it cook for 5 minutes, mix well and remove from flame.
• Heat a pan with some ghee and roast the cashes, almond chopped and raisins well and pour over the kheer / payasam
• The payasam/ kheer will be little crunchy but delicious. The crunchiness of this kheer makes it so special. So do not ever cook bamboo rice more until sticky. 
• Serve hot.