Chef’s Nectar, “Makhane ki Kheer”

Ingredients for making the Makhane ki Kheer

• 1 cup makhana (foxnuts or phool makhana)
• 2 cups organic milk or 500 ml organic milk
• 3-4 green cardamom – husked and powdered in a mortar-pestle
• 10-12 cashews
• 10-12 almonds – blanched and sliced
• 1 tbsp golden raisins
• 3.5 to 4 tbsp sugar or as required
• 1 pinch saffron
• 2 to 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Method of making the Kheer

Roasting of makhana and cashewsnuts

• Heat 2 to 3 tsp ghee in a pan.
• Add the phool makhana and cashews.
• On a low flame, roast 1 cup phool makhana and 10 to 12 cashews in ghee till the makhanas become crunchy. 
• The cashews will also get golden. Stir often while roasting them.
• Then remove them in a plate and keep aside.

Making makhane ki kheer

• Heat 2 cups milk/500 ml in a sauce pan or a thick bottomed pan.

• Stir at intervals so that the milk does not scorch from bottom.

• Let the milk come to a boil.

• Whilst the milk is getting heated up, reserve 1/3 cup makhana and add the remaining in a grinder or blender jar. Add cardamom seeds from 4 cardamom pods along with a pinch of saffron strands,Grind to a fine powder.

• When the milk comes to a boil, then add 3.5 to 4 tbsp sugar or add as per taste.

• Add the ground powdered makhana, Then the reserved 1/3 cup makhana, Stir very well.

• Simmer till the makhane softens and the milk thickens a bit. About 9 to 10 minutes on a low to medium flame, Scrape the evaporated milk solids from sides and add to the milk.

• Add the fried cashews nuts and raisins, Stir and simmer the kheer for a minute or two.

• Served makhane ki kheer hot or chilled. as per your preferences, in both ways its amazing and full of After chilling, the kheer’s consistency thickens a bit.