Fry

Jaggery-Sweetened Rice Kheer

by:
May 24, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This is one of the famous desserts in India, originating in West Bengal. Small-grained aromatic rice is slow-cooked in milk and a special natural sweetener called jaggery is added, which imparts a divine aroma and a brownish colour to this dessert. In India, this dessert is a part of the tradition, being served in festivals, marriages and birthdays. The jaggery used should be palm jaggery, not the cane version. If you don't get jaggery, you can replace the dish with turbinado or dememera sugar! —purabi

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Small-grained fragrant rice
  • 1.5 liters Milk
  • 1/2 cup Jaggery
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2 Green Cardamoms, Split
  • 12 Cashewnuts, broken into half
  • 1/4 cup Raisins
  • 1 teaspoon Ghee/oil
Directions
  1. First, shallow-fry the cashewnuts and the raisins in ghee/oil separately, till light brown. Remove and keep them aside.
  2. In a skillet, pour the milk, bay leaves and green cardamoms. Bring the milk to a boil, stirring from time to time.
  3. Add the drained rice, immersed in 1 cup water for ½ hour. Add the fried cashewnuts and raisins. Cook for 1 hour on low flame, stirring occasionally.
  4. After 1 hour, the rice will get nicely cooked in milk. Switch off the gas and wait for 5 min. Then add the jaggery. Mix well. (Adding the jaggery to hot milk is not preferred, since it leads to curdling of the milk.) Serve cold.
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4 Reviews

AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames May 24, 2011
Well, you've not only posted a lovely recipe, but you've also given me a great excuse for a trip to my Indian grocer (a bit out of the way, but always so worth it)!! One of my favorite combinations is bay + cashews, which often find their way, with a stick of cinnamon, into my breakfast porridge (typically stirred into leftover brown basmati and a spot of jaggery, of course, and some ghee). I've never tried the combination with cardamom. In a fragrant rice pudding, it sounds simply heavenly. I'll use the green raisins I can only get at the Indian grocer, too. I have company coming for a week, with at least one dinner with recipes from India planned, so this is simply perfect. Thanks again for the recipe and the shopping tips! ;o)
 
purabi
purabi June 20, 2011
Antonia, so sorry to reply your comment on my Jaggery-sweetened rice kheer recipe so late. I am glad that you liked the recipe. Wow, what an idea of breakfast porridge with bay leaves and cinnamon! Do let me know if you made this recipe. I bet you are going to like it. Also, it seems that you love Indian recipes a lot! Do have a look at my latest recipe collection at http://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com.

Your comments are welcome!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames May 24, 2011
Sounds fantastic! When I go to my Indian grocer to replenish my supply of jaggery, which I use regularly, what kind of rice should I ask for? Or should I just ask them to suggest the best rice they sell for this particular dish? Thank you for posting this recipe!! ;o)
 
purabi
purabi May 24, 2011
Hi, Antonia! You should be asking for the "Govindbhog chawal", as the people in West Bengal call it. If he doesn't have that, tell him to give the fragrant, small-grained rice used as an offering in Indian festivals. Otherwise, please use any kind of fragrant rice, having small grains! Thanks for liking the recipe!