Chosir Payesh

Do you know about the orzo pasta??? Well "chosi" is exactly the Bengali version of the orzo pasta, but much finer and smaller. Each one of them are handmade and their typical oval shape with two sharp pointy heads in the opposite direction is achieved by rolling them in between the thumb and the index finger. If you want to know how to make the "chosi" I can make a different post on that. Because it is a pithe and like other pithe and poolis they take time, practise and skills to achieve. But now I see readymade handmade chosi being sold in the local handcraft fairs during winter. These chosis are first made in a tray from a, all purpose flour + oil + water dough ( the dough is very similar like the one you will make for a paratha. It is not very hard and dry, yet soft to pinch and roll tiny balls from them). Once a layer of the chosi is formed, they are sun dried until totally crisp and then stored in airtight containers, where they will stay good for 2-3 months. But inside the refrigerator they can survive years. Chosir payesh is a winter delicasy. It is very much like the semai er payesh, almost identical, except the semai is of thin stick like shapes but they look like cooked rice once they are dried. Chosir payesh is easy to make and it takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare. And in place of sugar you can always add nalen gur or date palm jaggerry during winter. My son loves this payesh, as well as my husband. It is on its way of turning into a forgotten or lost recipe, but may be in my own way, I can keep it in our mind for a little longer.

Chosir Payesh ~ serves 4

 

Ingredients:

1 litre full fat cow milk

250 gms of white sugar

1/3 cup chosi

3 green cardamoms

2 tsp ghee

Method:

In a saucepan melt the ghee.

Add the chosi to them and shallow fry for a minute.

Take them out of the pan before they start to become golden brown.

Now in the same pan pour the milk.

Switch the flame to the lowest and let it come to a boil.

Once it starts boiling add the fried chosi to them.

Higher the flame by a notch and let it simmer for about 30minutes.

Stir every minutes to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Gradually you will see the milk becoming thicker and the chosi will start to float on top.

When you are happy with the thickness of the milk add sugar and ground green cardamom to them.

Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Switch off and cover with a kitchen towl.

Let it come to room temperature.

Serve warm or chilled.