As the festive season in India approaches, all I'm thinking about are the goodies I want to make. So here we are starting out with this incredibly simple, creamy, and healthy Almond Millet Kheer (pudding)!
This recipe came about one day when I was chewing my parents' brains about getting some recipe ideas from them. Fed up, they suggested kheer! Now I'm the biggest fan of traditionally made kheer - with rice, milk, and sugar ( it does most definitely deserves a blog post of its own). But I just had to mess with that recipe! So in came millets, almond milk, and jaggery with a splash of rose water. And thankfully this almond millet kheer flew with the purists in my family!
Typically the milk is cooked ever so slowly till it reduces in volume and thickens, then the rice is added and cooked till you get the creamiest softest textured pudding, with the sugar going in right at the end. As much as I find the whole process joyful, I wanted to make a slightly quick version with my millets.
These got roasted in a bit of ghee, then pressure-cooked with some crushed cardamom. That smell....!!! They were cooked further for a little while in my homemade almond milk, till it thickened. I love the depth of flavor jaggery imparts, so that went in as a sweetener as did a drizzle of rose water.
The result was this creamy custard-like, mildly sweet kheer/pudding, with nuttiness from the almond milk, warmly aromatic from the cardamoms, delicately flavored with rose water and topped with crunchy roasted cashews and pistachios. It's a lovely dessert that works very well served warm or cold. And is healthy and nourishing enough to have for breakfast! It's also great for the days when anyone is fasting during Navratri!
NOTE:
- You can make this recipe vegan by omitting ghee and using coconut oil instead.
- You can use dates or date syrup or regular sugar to sweeten the kheer too.
- By all means, use regular milk if you don't wish to use almond milk.
- The millets can be cooked in a saucepan if you don't have a pressure cooker. Use the same millet-to-water ratio as mentioned in the recipe and cook over medium heat.
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this almond millet kheer as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Almond Millet Kheer (Pudding)
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Ghee Or coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp Cardamom seeds, crushed
- 3/4 cup Millets I used a mix of Kodo, Barnyard, Little and Foxtail. You can use all of these or any one.
- 1.5 cup Water
- 2 -2.5 cups Almond milk
- 3 tbsp Jaggery powder You may need to add more, depending on your preference
- 1 tsp Rose water
- 2-3 tbsp Roasted cashews, pistachios, dried rose petals For topping
Instructions
- In your pressure cooker, heat 1 teaspoon ghee, add crushed cardamom and the millets. Roast them for 3-4 minutes till lightly fragrant.
- Add water and close the lid, put the weight on. Let it cook on medium high for 1 whistle. Turn off the gas and let the pressure release on its own. Your millets should be well cooked by now. Fluff them up with a fork.If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can also cook the millets in a saucepan, like you would cook rice. Add more water if needed.
- Now add 2 cups of almond milk and let the mixture cook on low heat till it thickens, 10-15 minutes. Add more milk if the kheer is too thick for you.
- Stir in the jaggery and rose water. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
- Sprinkle with cashews, pistachios and dried rose petals. Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy!
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