Kheer Recipe | How to Make Kheer | Indian Rice Pudding Recipe

Kheer - The Indian Rice Pudding #Recipe

Kheer is an Indian rice pudding. Rice is cooked in evaporated milk. It is often flavoured with cardamom, rose water, and saffron and is garnished with nuts. It is a rich milk based Indian dessert and finds a place in the menu on most festive Indian occasions.

There are a few sweet dishes that I have grown up eating, Bread Ras Malai, Cardamom Kulfi are among them. Another frequently made sweet dish in our house was 'Kheer'. Although I love it, I don't really make it that often these days, reason being DH doesn't like it much and cooking for myself doesn't inspire me enough to make it. However, on the rare occasions, I make it, I relish the whole lot myself, and I don't mind.

Kheer can be served hot or cold. I like mine chilled with a generous sprinkling of nuts.

Linking this to Walk Through The Memory Lane event hosted by Sizzlingveggies. This event is the brainchild of Gayathri

Kheer Recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1-litre milk.
¼ cup granulated sugar.
¼ cup basmati rice (60 gm).
2 tbsp raisins
Chopped almonds and pistachios for garnishing.
½ tbsp rose water (optional).
2 cardamom pods powdered.

Process:

1. Wash and rinse the rice and soak it for half an hour.

2. Heat a pan and add milk. Keep the gas on medium-high and heat the milk till it reduces a bit.

3. When the milk comes to boil (10-12 mins) add the rice. Heat it till the rice is cooked. Keep on stirring gently so that milk does not stick on the bottom of the pan.

4.The milk will reduce by almost half. It will take another 10 minutes. Now add the sugar, raisins, cardamom powder and rose water. Heat for another 5 mins so that the sugar is totally dissolved and take it off the gas. Garnish it with chopped almonds and pistachios.

5. Serve it hot or chilled.

Notes:

1. Since I used cardamom and rose water to flavour it, I didn't use saffron. You can omit the rose water and use a few strands of saffron. Soak saffron in a teaspoon of milk for a nice colour.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Cool Summer Sips - An Event Announcement

Summer is here.

How I wish I could say that! Yes, really I mean it. I guess summer has already arrived in most parts of the world but here, it is still so cold. I can't really believe it is already May and still the temperature are in single digit! I am hoping May has something better in store for us.

While I was thinking of a title for this event, I came up with this name- Cool Summer Sips (pun intended, it almost looks like we are going to have a cool summer). But, wait! That's not I am looking for. I love cool drinks, the ones that are perfect for summers - lemonade, spritzers, punch- all cold and icy like this Blueberry Lemonade or this Orange Spritzer or this Mint and Ginger Lemonade. Even icy cold Thandai is refreshing for the parched throat. How about some lip smacking cool shakes and smoothies! So, I want you to churn up some cool summery drinks so that I can at least have a virtual treat.

Here are a few rules of the event, you would like to know:

1. Prepare any cold drink that is perfect for summer.
2. Recipe has to be strict vegetarian.
3. Multiple Entries are welcome. Only fresh entries please. Archived entries are not allowed
4. Please send in your entries starting today, 1st May 2012 till on or before 30th June 2012.  EXTENDED to 30th July 2012.

5. If you are on Facebook, please like my Facebook page  You can find the widget on right column of this space.
6. Bloggers can simply link your entries in the linky tool here or mail it to me with your Name and URL of your recipe at sethiajyoti119@gmail.com (sethiajyoti119 AT gmail DOT com) with the subject of "Cool Summer Sips" with the following details-

Name:
Recipe Name and URL:
Picture of the dish reduced to 300px:



Non Bloggers are also welcome to send me any number of entries. Just mail me the recipe and the picture.
While the linky tool is perfect for submitting your entries, I will however do a manual roundup of the event after the event is over. I somehow feel that those round ups have a personal touch.

So, friends send in your summery sips entries! Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Shahi Paneer~ Paneer Cubes in Rich Tomato Nuts Gravy

 This recipe has been sitting in my drafts for almost 5 months! I really do not know why? I generally cook a paneer curry every weekend. Earlier I have posted Palak Paneer ( Paneer in a spinach gravy) and Paneer Methi Malai (Paneer in a spicy red gravy flavored with dried fenugreek leaves). Shahi Paneer is a  very rich curry and that's why is not that frequently made in my house. It is actually reserved for special occasions.

'Shahi' literally translates to 'Royal', meaning this gravy is rich enough for a royal palate. The richness comes from the cashew paste and cream used in making the gravy, the more you use the richer the gravy. Lets see how I make it.

 

Shahi Paneer

250 gm paneer, cut into cubes

3-4 tomatoes
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup cream
2-3 tbsp oil
1" piece cinnamon
2-3 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 green chillies slit
1/4 to1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Chopped coriander for garnishing
1 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste

Process:

1. Blanch the tomatoes. Make a slit on the skin and put them under hot boiling water. After 5 minutes take them out and peel the tomato skin. Set aside. Microwave the quartered onion or boil them till they are soft.
2. Keep the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes, till they are soft.
3. Churn the tomatoes, boiled onions and soaked cashews into a very smooth paste. You can make separate paste for each of them. I have tried both ways and I don't see much of a difference in taste in the resultant curry.
4. Heat oil in a large pan. When heated add the whole spices and saute for a few seconds. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minutes. Then add the tomato, onion and cashew paste.Add the salt. Simmer it on a medium flame for 5-10 minutes. Add all the other spices except garam masala. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. Add warm water to the gravy to get the desired consistency.The raw of the spices will go away and oil will leave from the sides.
5. Add the paneer cubes and stir. Add the cream and sugar and garam masala.

6. Simmer for another 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with roti, naan or parathas.

 

Lucky Library Picks #11 ~ 1Q84 by Murakami

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Book 1 and 2)

This is a belated post of my Lucky Library Picks series. I was supposed to publish it on the 15th of this month. But, due to my illness, I couldn't. I had picked up this book early this month.

This book has been on display in every book shop I have been in the last couple of month and I have seen many good and bad reviews of the book. It intrigued me and I have been looking for it in the library for quite a time. I had spotted the Book 3 many a times. But, I wanted to read the book in sequence. Hence, when I saw this volume, I picked it up.

I am very much looking forward to reading it. 

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers1

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer ~ #4 Twilight Series

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and the last of the much acclaimed Twilight series. I am not much of a paranormal fantasy book reader. In fact, the twilight series is the only what I have read in this genre. That too, after my friend recommended it to me.

Breaking Dawn is a continuation from the last book of the series, Eclipse. The first  part of the book is all about the marriage of Bella and Edward followed by a honey moon in the lonely and far off Esme Island. It is during the honeymoon, Bella realizes there is something seriously wrong in her. It comes as a surprise to her that she is pregnant, actually very pregnant and that too in a span of time that is humanly impossible. But, then the thing growing inside her is not human. It is a culmination of vampire and human. No one knows what it would be. But, one thing is for sure, it is slowly devouring Bella inside out. This little thing growing inside her changes the equations of relationship among people around her. Friends become foes and enemies becomes friends. The relationship with Jacob takes a whole new dimension.

The author has used a lot of imagination and the story is full of twists and turn. I can't really delve into details of the story line. That is very much a thing to read in the novel.

But, I do have some issues with the story. First thing, the story by the end was neatly tied in a bow. There were no loose ends. Every one gets what they want. I don't mean I like sad endings but, to me the ending seemed too perfect to be true. That took away a lot of charm and awe I had for the series. Bella had never been my favorite character nor had been Edward. Bella had always been portrayed as a clumsy, inefficient being and after being immortalized, she is the most gifted one, as if she was born to be immortalized. In fact, I have read that the cover page of the book signifies exactly that. From being the most insignificant player, she becomes the most powerful one. The title of the book also signifies Bella's new life. My problem with Edward is that he is too good. I mean loving one is fine. But giving in to the irrational demands of your beloved is not the right thing. I loved Jacob Black's character. He was the only one who seemed to be real to me but then I lost him when he imprinted!
Also, I couldn't digest the fact that the battle with the Volturi ended without much of a combat. I wish there had been more action on the ground rather than in the mind.

Of the whole series I liked the first book most. It was a page turner for me. In the following books, there was too much of sulking on Bella's part, too much of eternal love from Edward. Only Jacob Black kept me glued to the series. I give it to the author for her incredible imagination. The story came a long way from the point it started. It had been a tumultuous journey for Bella. So, it has been for the reader. All in all it was a different experience reading the series. Good for easy and light read, nothing more.

Thank you for stopping by. Cheers!