Learn to Cook Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

Chris Chopp — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:58:39 +0000

Easy to make, easy to find on the menu in Northern India, guaranteed to make your taste buds happy; kheer is a delicious dessert which I am always on the hunt for when traveling. Many times when ordering at restaurants my request for this dish is met with snickers or odd looks, both for which there is no explanation, yet I enjoy every last spoonful of heaven. No-one makes this sweet, creamy meal-ender like Shikha, the wife of my good friend Rakesh. I can expect a heaping bowl of freshly made kheer awaiting my arrival once she learns of my plans to drop by for dinner at their place in New Delhi. Made with sugar, whole milk and a lot of love, she beams from ear to ear watching me indulge in her cooking. If seconds and thirds are not taken from the cauldron size pot of rice pudding, scowls mixed with Indian guilt continue until my bowl is refilled (usually with more than the first helping).

The recipe below can be served warm or cold. Either style tastes great but you’re most likely to be served warm kheer in restaurants. Add golden raisins to this dish for a little extra texture and sweet bursts of flavor that mixes well with the almonds and pistachios. So tasty!

Learn to Cook: Gajar Ka Halwa (Sweet Carrots)

Chris Chopp — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:57:49 +0000

My newest favorite dessert: Gajar Ka Halwa meaning ‘sweet carrots’ in Hindi. Nearly every menu in the South offers this delicious dish as well as roadside sweet stalls. In the video below, Manjula refers to it as a Punjabi dish. When traveling the North I don’t recall seeing this treat so readily available, partly because I’m usually fixated on finding kheer or gulab jamun for my sweet tooth. I’m thrilled to discover how easy it is to make this at home. Hopefully you try it and enjoy it as much as I surely do.

Full Stop India» Kheer

Learn to Cook Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

Learn to Cook: Gajar Ka Halwa (Sweet Carrots)