Red Rice Kheer

mayurisjikoni

8 years ago

EVENT: BLOGGING MARATHON #89

THEME: MAKE ONE TYPE OF INDIAN SWEET

Next week I’m traveling to Canada to visit my son. Excited? Yes. Have I started packing? No. I know last minute I’m going to be running around like a headless chicken. I need to put away the spices, grains, flours, lentils everything in the fridge. I hate this part. The weather here is so humid that food gets spoilt within a month in not stored in the fridge. I need to still make a few goodies to take for him. I need to pack. I was joking with hubby dear that he might as well convert one of the bedrooms into a cold storage. Oh well, let me just relax for a bit and blog!

My son in law loves kheer. He’s never too full when it comes to kheer. Once I asked him what type of kheer was his favorite and he said any. Whenever he comes down to Bangalore when we’re there, kheer is on the menu. I usually make a bit more so he can enjoy it the next day too. When I was making this kheer with red rice I was wondering whether he would like this kheer. Well, the only way to find out is to make it for him when I see him next.

My third choice for kheer was an avocado kheer. (Check out the other two kheers I’ve made, carrot and coconut kheer and makhana and dry fruit kheer). However, I’m not sure how the avocado color and taste would turn out after cooking it with milk. Maybe will experiment some other day. I usually plan pretty well for the BM themes, but this time, today’s kheer was like made today! So there was option of taking a risk.

Ever since I made red rice porridge for the BM breakfast theme, I’d wanted to make kheer or pudding with it. So avocado was pushed aside and in came red rice. Red rice usually takes a long time to cook, so I pressured cooked it. Though it does not become soft or mushy like the white rice, it’s soft enough to enjoy a bite with each spoonful and not forgetting the pleasant earthy taste you get from the rice and jaggery along with the flavors of the spices added.

RED RICE KHEER/PUDDING

Serves 3-4

¼ – ⅓ cup red rice

2½ cups milk

½ cup water

4 tbsp fresh cream

¼ – ⅓ cup jaggery powder

½ tsp cardamom powder

¼ tsp nutmeg powder

1 tbsp raisins

1 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp chopped nuts like cashew nuts, pistachios and almonds

a few strands of saffron

Wash the red rice and soak it in the measured water for 20-30 minutes.
Add the rice along with the water and 1 cup milk into a pressure cooker.
Cook on medium heat for 2 whistles.
Let the pressure reduce and then open the lid.
Heat ghee in a saucepan over low heat.
Add the chopped nuts and fry them for a few minutes.
Remove them using a slotted spoon and keep on the side till required.
Add the cooked rice into the pan along with the liquid and remaining milk.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes or till it becomes thick.
Add fresh cream and jaggery powder.
Mix well. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes and stir it frequently.
Add the raisins, saffron, nuts, cardamom and nutmeg powder.
Mix well and serve hot or cold. If you want to serve it cold, transfer the kheer into a glass bowl and keep it in the fridge till its time to serve it.

Tips:

You can cook the rice in a pan along with the milk and water, the cooking time will increase. Remember to stir if often.
Add nuts and spices of your choice.
Can replace the jaggery with other sweeteners.

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