Recreating dishes from my childhood is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. The smells and flavors bring back so many memories! <br />Although I love sticking to traditional recipes, sometimes it is also neat to deviate just a little, put my own spin on it and see how things turn out! This is my take on the classic Indian rice pudding or payesh, as we Bengalis call it. My mother has always made payesh for every single birthday in the family and she still makes it for me every time I visit home! <br />This pudding ended up just as sweet and creamy and thick as the payesh of my childhood, but with an added chewiness that came from the quinoa. Since I did not have access to the special kind of molasses (made from the sap of the date palm tree) that is absolutely crucial for this dish, I had to substitute a quick homemade date syrup that did a fine job in mimicking the flavors of the molasses. Enjoy! <br />

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