The word Payasam is a Tamil word derived from Peeyusham meaning nectar or ambrosia. Payasam is a Tamil culinary term commonly used to refer to a creamy pudding, made with vermicelli, milk and sugar as the base ingredients and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios or almonds. The use of saffron and cardamom in the preparation not only adds delicate and subtle flavors but it also contributes to the creamy color of the dessert complimenting its creamy taste.
Some Indian stalls and eateries in KL would serve complimentary Pasi Parappu Payasam for dessert on Fridays (it being significant of a holy day for Hindus, some of whom would abstain from eating meat on Fridays). This basic version of Payasam uses moong dhall/lentils (pasi paruppu) as an ingredient, thus making it an even healthier and delectable choice.
The Payasam dessert has been an essential dish throughout the history of the Indian culinary heritage, commonly served during ceremonies, feasts and celebrations. Southern Indian traditions dictate that a wedding is not fully blessed if Payasam is not served at the wedding feast, this tradition is still being practiced by newly wedded couples, mostly in the southern regions, from where the tradition started in the first place.
Legend has it that Payasam is served as part of a tradition, based on an ancient legend, which traces its origins to the Ambalappuzha temple, in Kerala, South India.
The legend states that Lord Krishna (the eight avatar of Vishnu, playing a major role in the Hindu religion) took the form of an old sage and challenged the great king who ruled over that region to a game of chess. Being a true chess player and a master of the mind game’s tricks, the king gladly accepted the sage’s invitation. Asking what the sage wanted in case he wins the game, the king was bedazzled by the sage’s request: an amount of rice grains for each square of the chess board, each pile having double the number of grains than the previous pile.
So the first square would have only one grain of rice, the second would have 2 grains, the third would have 4 grains, the fourth would have 8 rice grains and so on, each pile growing at a geometrical progression from the past pile of rice grains.
Hearing this request, the king was shocked that the sage wanted only what he taught were a few piles of grain, when he could have betted for his whole kingdom or the immense riches that he held.
Naturally the king lost, (because playing chess against a God is not an easy task!) so he started placing grain piles on each square, starting with only one grain. He soon realized that the sage’s demand was not entirely what he had envisioned, when the number reached one million grains of rice by the 20th square. By the 40th or so square, the entire kingdom’s rice reserve was depleted and when he got to the last square he calculated that he would have to pay the sage 18,447,744 trillions of tons of rice, which he could have never paid off.
The sage then revealed his true form, that of Lord Krishna, and said that the debt need be paid immediately, however, the king will have to serve Payasam freely in the temple of Ambalappuzha, to the pilgrims, homeless or whoever patronized the temple for peace of mind and prayer or for those seeking shelter.
This is how the Payasam gained its significance, integrating in the Hindu culture. The tradition of freely serving Payasam in Ambalappuzha still continues till today and pilgrims all over India have an easier ride knowing that a hot bowl of the sweet dessert awaits them at the end of their journey.
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