Guyanese parsad is a smooth, buttery dessert made with parched flour, ghee, milk, sugar, and spices. Serve this Guyanese treat alongside fruit for holidays and celebrations.
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- Guyanese Parsad
- Why You'll Love This Guyanese Parsad Recipe
- What is parsad?
- Ingredients for Guyanese Parsad
- How to Make Guyanese Parsad
- Substitutions & Variations
- Equipment
- Tips for the Best Guyanese Parsad
- FAQ
- More Desserts
- Do you love this Guyanese Parsad recipe? Have questions or suggestions? Let me know in the comments section. Then check out my YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram for more delicious recipes.
- Printable Recipe Card
Guyanese Parsad
Guyanese parsad is connected to all of my memories of my grandmother Evelyn. She was a Hindu and made sweets for every Hindu holiday and all of her poojahs or jhandis. I have fond memories of her preparing parsad on the fireside.
The parsad at poojahs (ceremonial worship) came in a brown paper bag that was always stained by the grease from the ghee. I have a very distinct memory of the contents of this greasy brown paper bag. There was parsad, half of a small banana, a piece of watermelon, some pomegranate seeds, and other sweets. I can still taste that banana and watermelon with little bits of parsad stuck to it.
Now I can take that nostalgia and share this parsad dessert with you!
Why You'll Love This Guyanese Parsad Recipe
- A Labor of Love: This takes some elbow grease in the form of constant stirring but the recipe is incredibly easy to follow.
- Tasty: It's made with toasted flour, spiced milk, and raisins for sweetness.
- Great for Gatherings: Parsad is meant to be shared. It's served at weddings, during holidays (like Diwali), birthdays, and other special occasions.
What is parsad?
For most Guyanese people, parsad is simply this dish of flour cooked in ghee or butter. For most Indians, Prasad is an offering made to a deity or God. And what I am making here with the flour and ghee is called halwa, more specifically maida (all purpose flour) halwa. Some Hindus in Guyana also call this dish Mohanbhog as it is very similar to Bengali Mohan Bhog.
Ingredients for Guyanese Parsad
This easy parsad recipe is made with flour, milk, sugar, ghee, spices, vanilla extract, raisins.
- All purpose flour: Sifted.
- Whole milk: The liquid base of this recipe.
- Granulated sugar: may also use brown sugar or Demerara sugar
- Ghee: You may also use butter.
- Cinnamon sticks: You can substitute this with ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Cardamom pods: Added for depth of flavor.
- Vanilla extract: For vanilla flavor.
- Raisins: Rinsed.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Guyanese Parsad
I love good food but don't like complicated steps so to make my parsad I follow these simple steps.
Start by adding milk, spices, sugar, and raisins to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. While the milk is heating up parch the flour
How to Parch Flour for Parsad
Add flour to melted ghee or butter and mix until combined. Stir continuously until the mixture is loose.
Continue to cook it until the mixture is slightly brown and the texture begins to change. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning until mixture is brown and looks fluffy and a bit grainy but be careful not to burn the flour.
Combine Milk and Flour
Then add the hot milk to the parched flour and mix together. It is that easy (a bit messy, but still easy)!
Substitutions & Variations
- More Add-Ins. For more flavor, add maraschino cherries and chopped nuts.
- Browned: If you prefer a darker prasad, parch the flour for longer until you reach your desired color.
- Sweetness: Instead of milk and sugar, you can use sweetened condensed milk. You can also use a combination of both sugar and condensed milk if you prefer.
- Gluten Free Parsad: If you have a gluten intolerance, check out my gluten free recipe for parsad.
Equipment
- Saucepans: You need a large saucepan to toast the flour and cook the parsad in and a smaller one to cook the spiced milk.
Tips for the Best Guyanese Parsad
- Parch the flour. If you don't toast the flour, the parsad will be very pale and even worse, have a bitter taste from the flour.
- Don't walk away from the pot. You need to consistently stir so it doesn't burn.
- Remember to remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.
FAQ
What does parsad taste like?
It's sweet with warm spices and a slightly nutty taste. Some describe the consistency of parsad as very similar to fluffy, edible cookie dough. It has a melt-in-your-mouth quality that makes it absolutely irresistible.
Do you eat parsad hot?
Enjoy this piping hot, at room temperature, or cold out of the fridge.
More Desserts
Do you love this Guyanese Parsad recipe? Have questions or suggestions? Let me know in the comments section. Then check out my YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram for more delicious recipes.
Printable Recipe Card
Guyanese Parsad
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups All purpose flour sifted
- 3 cups whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar may also use brown sugar or Demerara sugar
- ¾ cup Ghee may also use butter
- 1-2 Cinnamon sticks may substitute for ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 2-4 Cardamom pods
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup raisins rinsed
Instructions
- Combine milk, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract and raisins in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil on medium heat, then reduce the heat to low once the milk starts to boil
- While milk is coming to a boil, add a large saucepan to medium-high heat and bring up to temperature
- Then add the ghee and allow to melt completely
- When ghee is completely melted add the flour and mix together well, stirring constantly to prevent burning
- Continue to cook the ghee and flour mixture for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is light brown in color and a bit fluffy in texture
- Then remove from the heat and immediately add the milk, spices and raisins mixture to the cooked (parched) flour and butter and mix until completely combined and smooth
- Allow to cool then serve with some pomegranate seeds if you like.
Notes
- Combine milk, sugar, ghee or butter, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla extract and raisins in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil on medium heat
- While milk mixture is coming to a boil, add a pan to medium heat and bring up to temperature
- When pan is hot add flour and toast/parch (continuously stirring to avoid burning) until flour is light brown in color.
- Then add the milk and raisins mixture to the flour and mix until completely combined
- Next reduce heat to low and continue stirring mixture until thick and smooth
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving
Gale says
Maybe things have changed because I learned like 16 yrs ago. My cousin in law taught me. 1st u parch the flour then sieve it. 2nd melt the butter add the flour while stirring continuously. 3rd add sugar water to mixture (still stirring on fire) 4th add raisins and cherries and milk (optional). Finish lol. But u hv to average the cooking time to make sure its cooked thoroughly.
Metemgee says
This is how I used to make it. But the butter always made the flour clump up. So then I started putting it in the milk. Other recipes I saw online they add the flour to the pot of boiling milk and let it cook down. When I saw this my main concern was am I cooking this flour long enough? But I've made it several times and no one got sick, so...
Anisia says
Nice work Althee!!
Metemgee says
Thanks Girl 😀
Karen says
Great proportions! Thanks! I made it with soy milk instead of whole milk and it was just as good!!
Metemgee says
Glad it came out great. Thanks for checking my blog out.
Jenelle says
I use a sieve to sift the parched flour, pressing any lumps with the back of the spoon, then mix the flour into the milk (without the butter). The butte is then melted in the pot on low heat and the flour/milk mixture is added and turned until it forms the same consistency. With this process, no lumps have to be dealt with during the cooking process, and the buttery flavour is more pronounced!
Susan Bhamdeo says
Girl, I tried making parsad last week and it came out smooth and silky like sirnie. I don't like that. I will try your way. This looks easier. Thanks! 🙂
Debbie says
Thank You for sharing 🤤🤤
Altee Brown says
You're welcome
Anna says
I saw this on Instagram and made within a couple hours because it looked so good! I have never had it before, but I love it! My kids really like it too. Thank you!!
Reena says
Hi Anna, as Althea mentioned, this sweet is made for pujas. Specifically, it is not a desert. It’s an offering to the gods. It’s special.
Allison says
I made parsad gluten, sugar and dairy free today for the first time thanks to your recipe (I used stevia instead of coconut sugar) and it was as perfect as it could be! Thanks so much for sharing these gluten free alternatives to our traditional recipes. Happy Phagwah!
Althea Brown says
Yay. Thank you so much for trying it and sharing. Yummy.
Britney says
I love this recipe so much! Question: could the milk be substituted for almond?