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A traditional sweet rice pudding from Bihar, Rasia gets its unique caramel-like flavor and earthy sweetness from jaggery. This comforting dessert, often made for Chhath Puja, is slow-cooked to creamy perfection and scented with cardamom.
Prepare the Rice
Cook the Kheer
Add Jaggery (Crucial Step)
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A traditional sweet rice pudding from Bihar, Rasia gets its unique caramel-like flavor and earthy sweetness from jaggery. This comforting dessert, often made for Chhath Puja, is slow-cooked to creamy perfection and scented with cardamom.
This bihari recipe takes 55 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 406.14 calories per serving with 10.87g of protein, it's a beginner-friendly recipe perfect for dessert.
Flavor and Garnish
Serve
Add 1/4 cup of grated fresh coconut along with the rice for a coastal flavor twist and richer texture.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of crumbled khoya (mawa) in the last 5 minutes of cooking for an extra creamy and rich texture.
Add a mix of cashews and raisins along with almonds and pistachios. Fry them in ghee before adding for extra crunch and sweetness.
Soak a few strands of saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm milk and add it along with the cardamom powder for a beautiful color and royal aroma.
Jaggery is an unrefined sugar that retains more minerals than white sugar, including iron, which is vital for maintaining healthy hemoglobin levels and preventing anemia.
The combination of carbohydrates from rice and jaggery provides a quick and sustained release of energy, making it a comforting and revitalizing dessert.
Milk is an excellent source of calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth.
Cardamom, used for flavoring, is known in traditional medicine to aid digestion, reduce bloating, and soothe the stomach.
One serving of Rasia (approximately 1 cup or 275g) contains around 400-450 calories, depending on the fat content of the milk and the exact amount of jaggery and nuts used.
Rasia is a dessert and should be enjoyed in moderation. However, it is healthier than desserts made with refined white sugar. Jaggery provides minerals like iron and magnesium, and milk offers calcium and protein. It's a wholesome, traditional sweet.
Milk curdles when acidic ingredients are added to it at a high temperature. Jaggery contains some natural acids from the sugarcane juice. To prevent this, always turn off the heat and let the kheer cool for at least 5-7 minutes before stirring in the jaggery.
Yes, you can use sugar, but the dish will then be a standard rice kheer, not Rasia. The jaggery provides the characteristic caramel flavor and color. If using sugar, you can add it while the kheer is still simmering on the stove.
Traditionally, a short-grain aromatic rice like Gobindobhog is used as it becomes creamy and releases a beautiful aroma. However, Basmati rice also works very well. Avoid using long-grain parboiled rice.
Yes, you can make a vegan version of Rasia. Substitute the dairy milk with a creamy plant-based milk like full-fat coconut milk or oat milk. Also, skip the optional ghee for toasting nuts or use coconut oil instead.