Kheer is traditionally an Indian sweet. You'll find it on the dessert table during celebrations or at the end of your local Indian Buffet. The latter is how I came across it. I have tried a few different recipes of Kheer and though I'd like to remain modest, I happen to like the kind in my fridge just a bit better. Everyone has their preferences and I suggest you cater this recipe to your own liking. Add a little of this and that, change the rice, get the milk consistency as you favor, adjust cardamom to your preference, etc. It's all an experiment, right?
Here's a recipe I've concocted:
Ingredients:
4 C whole milk
1.5 C water
1 C Basmati Rice
3/4 C sweetened condensed milk
1/2 C sugar
handful golden raisins
handful slivered almonds
pinch saffron
1 tsp. freshly crushed cardamom
Preparation:
Cook milk, water and rice in heavy bottomed saucepan until liquid is reduced 50% - about 10-20 minutes. During this process, take a spoonful of hot liquid from the pan, put in a small bowl or cup, add your saffron and let bloom. I also use this time to crush my cardamom using a mortar and pestle.
Add sweetened condensed milk and sugar to saucepan and cook until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add saffron, cardamom, almonds and raisins - stir gently. Chill.
Notes:
* Some people like to eat their Kheer warm - I find it to be too sweet when it's served warm and think the flavors are at their peak when it has been chilled for a couple hours.
** The most important part of this recipe IMO is the freshly crushed cardamom. First, it does a number on my nose. Every time I smell cardamom it warms my heart. And second, it really makes this dish takeoff in the flavor department.
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