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 (Pudding) 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.
If you try this recipe, do let me know. I’d love to hear from you! Please tag me on Instagram @tashasartisanfoods, using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods. You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST for more fabulous recipes!
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