Kheer

A slowcooking Indian dessert recipe if you have nothing but milk left in your pantry, along with an ocean of time on your side and a mountain of patience to survive you through the cookin process. That being said, the final result will be as much tasty and satisfying as you can imagine. This reduced sweetened milk, often called as Kheer in Bengali is the step you have to achieve if you are making khoya. Whereas khoya is dry, kheer has a little bit of moisture still left in it. And it is utterly delicious. The sweetened milk solids and carame,isation that occurs because of the long hours of cooking ensures that you will be rewarded for your loabour.

Kheer / Reduced Sweetened Milk Dessert ~ serves 4

Ingredients:

1.5 litres of milk

250gm white granulated sugar

4-5 green cardamom

Some dry fruits ( almonds, cashew, pistachio) for garnish

Method:

Take a big pot where the milk will not overflow when it starts boiling. Try to use a pot which can hold double the quantity of milk. For 1.5 litres of milk I have used a 3 litre pot.

Place the pot on the stovetop, on the very lowest flame.

Switch on the flame. If possible switch the flame to the lowest.

Now rest and let it simmer for about 2 and a half hour, or until it has reduced to it's 1/4 of the original quantity.

Keep stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Scrap the sides of the pot as well to gather all the milk solids. Leave no good things behind.

When the milk is almost 1/4 of it's original quantity, add the sugar to it.

Stir to mix qnd simmer for another 15 minutes, which will give the kheer a silky and sticky texture.

At this stage you will see the milk has become heavy with milk solids, but still has some liquidity to it. You can reduce more to make it drier or you can stop at this stage. It will become a little more solid once it cools down.

Pound the green cardamon to a fine powder and discard their skins.

Add the green cardamom powder to the kheer and mix gently.

Cover the pot with a cotton cloth and place the lid on top of it. The cloth will prevent the vapoured water to fall on the kheer.

Keep it inside the fridge once it comes to room temperature.

It will stay inside the fridge for about a month.

It can be eaten as it is as a dessert or with chapati and poori as well.