Payesh, yeah, that’s what we call a kheer. No birthday celebration takes place without a kheer recipe in a Bengali family. No matter how many cakes we cut, our birthday celebration just doesn’t seem to end unless we offer it to the birthday boy or girl. Today is my MIL’s birthday and she makes the world’s best kheer. Yes, it’s true, I am not bragging. It’s not that the birthday girl would prepare her birthday kheer, but what to do? We all love her kheer. So she insisted on making it on her own. And you know what, it’s sheer heaven. Her recipe is very simple. Anyone can try this at ease.
Let’s see how you too can prepare this kheer recipe in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
Milk – 1½ Liter
Gobindobhog rice – 3 Tablespoons
Sugar – 3 Tablespoons
Jaggery (date) – half a cup
Cashew – 20 – 25 Nos. (broken into halves)
Raisins – 20 – 25 Nos.
Procedure:
Wash the rice. And keep it aside.
Soak cashews and raisins. And keep them aside.
Now take a larger pot.
Pour milk.
Bring it to a boil.
Now add the rice to the boiling milk.
Cook it until the rice is softened.
Once the rice is done, add the sugar.
Mix it well.
Then add jaggery.
Now boil until the milk catches a nice creamy texture.
Now add the raisins and cashews.
Transfer it to a serving bowl.
Let it cool down in the air.
And then refrigerate it.
Serve it cold.
Extra Tip:
Maintain the rice-milk ratio. It’s 1 tablespoon of rice per half liter of milk.
You should always introduce sugar first. It will not let the jaggery curdle the milk.
You should always add the raisins and cashews at the end. The tanginess of the raisins may curdle the milk if introduced earlier.
Always and always keep stirring the milk. You should never stop stirring while making this recipe. Keep on scraping the sides whenever needed.
A full frothy bubbling surface is the indicator that your kheer is done.
No need to add any other flavor like bay leaf, cardamom, or camphor when using date jaggery.
Conclusion:
It’s a fine delicacy that we have been cherishing since the ages unknown. Be it a birthday, or any auspicious ceremony, a payesh or kheer recipe always tops the presence. Make it in your kitchen and do let me know how this recipe came out.
Enjoy!
Read other Recipes here.