Mulayari (bamboo rice) payasam
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A jaggery and coconut-milk pudding made with bamboo rice, the seeds of flowering bamboo gathered by forest communities in Wayanad and other hill districts.
Region: Kerala, mainly Wayanad and other forest districtsOccasion: Special occasions when bamboo rice is availableTime: 1 hr + soaking overnightServes: 4Vegan
Ingredients
- ½ cup bamboo rice (mulayari), soaked overnight
- 1 cup grated jaggery melted in ¼ cup water and strained
- 2 cups thin and 1 cup thick coconut milk
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- Cashews and coconut slivers (optional)
Method
- Pressure-cook the soaked bamboo rice with 2 cups water until soft; it stays slightly chewy.
- Add the jaggery syrup and cook until the rice absorbs it.
- Add the thin coconut milk and simmer until creamy.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the thick coconut milk and cardamom.
- Fry cashews and coconut slivers in oil or ghee and pour over the payasam.
History
Many bamboos flower only once in several decades and then die, shedding seed that forest-dwelling and tribal families collect and sell as bamboo rice.
Significance
Because it is gathered only when bamboo flowers, bamboo rice is rare and valued, and selling it brings forest communities some extra income.