Bura (Dry Grainy powdered sugar)

Bura

Bura is sugar heated so that it loses its water of crystallization and then powdered to get rid of any lumps which are formed. In northern India and Gujarat this form of sugar is taken with rice-ghee, Chapatti-ghee combination. For making laddu my mom used to use bura rather than sugar powder. When I got married I wanted to know why I should do this extra work. So on inquiring from her she told me the secret of tasty laddu. Because when I used powdered sugar then the texture and taste of laddu did not come out same as the laddu she used to make.

She told me that bura makes the laddu very tasty and gives slightly grainy texture. Since then 32 years have passed by and I have never prepared any type of laddu without bura. now be it deepawali, Holi or any festival my preparations for the festivals start by making Bura.

Making Time: 30 min

Servings: 500 gm. Bura

Ingredients required for making Bura:

• 500 gm. Sugar

Directions For Making Bura:

• Take sugar in a thick bottom wok and heat it on low flame with continuous stirring.

Sugar being heated in a thick bottom wok

• Sugar will start getting dry after 5 min. of heating.

After 5 min. of heating on low flame

• Keep on heating it with continuous stirring.

After 10 min. of heating

• After 10-15 min. of heating its texture will change completely and it will start melting.

After 15 min. of heating

• Keep cooking on low flame with continuous stirring for another 10 min. 

After 25 min. of heating

• Switch off the gas.

• The sugar will be now dry brittle and will have few lumps.

• Take this hot sugar (Bura) on a plate and cool it to room temperature.

Coarse Bura being cooled

• When cold grind in a mixer to powder.

• Bura is ready. 

Bura

• This can be taken with rice, paratha, puri as well as used to make laddu.

Tips:

• Always use thick bottom wok.

• Stir continuously.

• Take out immediately once it is dried after melting starts.

• Continuous stirring makes sure that sugar does neither caramelize and least amount of lumps is formed.

Hasinaye Kheer/चावल की खीर ( Kheer sweetened with Date Jaggery)

Hasinaye Kheer

Kheer is a dessert made in Asian continent as well as Middle East. In India Making Kheer varies from east to west and North to South. In Southern part of India Kheer is commonly made with rice/sewai (vermicelli)/Sabudana in milk and coconut milk. In Northern India it is made in milk either with rice or sewai. But almost everywhere sugar is added as sweetener. The Kheer made in West Bengal India is definitely different as the sweetener added is Date Jaggery. Date jaggery gives a wonderful flavor to the kheer. Due to its wonderful looks and delectable taste I call it Hasinaye Kheer. This kheer is special to me as it evokes the childhood memories of Durga puja when we used to get to eat as much gud ki kheer as we wanted in Durga puja fest.

Date jaggery is unrefined sweetener thus all nutrients are intact in it unlike sugar which is refined sweetener. Thus it not only adds flavor but makes the kheer rich in Iron and many micro nutrients.

Preparation Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 90 min

Servings: 8 large helpings

Ingredients Required for Making Kheer with Date Jaggery:

• 50 gm. Rice

• 2-3 lt. Full Cream Milk

• 150 gm. date Jaggery

• 10-15 Almonds

• 10-15 cashew nuts

• 4-5 Strings of Saffron (Kesar)(Optional)

• 3-4 Green Cardamom (Optional)

• 10-12 Pistachios (Optional)

• 10-12 Raisins (Optional)

Directions For Making Hasinaye Kheer:

• Wash and soak the rice in 100 ml of water.

Rice being soaked

• Dissolve the Date jaggery in 150 ml.water at room temperature and then heat the date jaggery and water solution till it boils.

• Cool to room temperature and keep aside.

Khajur gud (Date jaggery) and water solution boiled and cooled

• Cut Cashew nuts, Almonds and Pistachios to small pieces.

• Remove the green peel of green cardamom and grind the seeds to coarse powder.

• Take milk in a thick bottom wok /pan and heat it on high flame till it boils.

 Milk for boiling for Kheer

 Milk boiled and ready for soaked rice to be added

• Add soaked rice with water in the boiling milk.

Rice added to boiled milk

• Cook with regular stirring till the milk starts boiling again.

Rice being cooked in milk

• Reduce the flame and cook on low flame with occasional stirring till the rice gets cooked and mixes with the milk making the consistency of milk rice mixture to pourable thickness. It will take approximately 70-80 min.

Rice and milk mixture getting thickened and becoming homogenous (50 min. cooking on low flame)

Rice and milk mixture after 70 min. of cooking on low flame

• Switch off the gas.

Thick rice and milk mixture ready for Khajur gud (Date jaggery) to be added

• Add the dissolved date jaggery and mix nicely.

• Add Almonds, Cashew nuts and pistachios and mix.

Date jaggery, Nuts and Raisins added to Kheer

•  Add powdered green cardamom and mix.

• Heat it  if you like hot kheer. Do not boil again.

• Take out in a serving bowl and decorate with almonds, pistachios.

Hasinaye Kheer

• If you like chilled kheer then place the serving bowl with kheer in fridge for 2-3 hrs.

• Serve hot or cold as per your liking.

Oh ! so tempting Let us enjoy Hasinaye Kheer

  My favorite combination Ajwain puri with Hasinaye Kheer.

Tips:

• Do not soak the jaggery in hot milk.

• Basmati or broken basmati rice gives the best result.

• The amount of Jaggery can be increased according to individual taste.

• If your container is not big enough for 2-3 Lt. milk then take as much milk initially according the size of your container and keep on adding once the liquid content reduce creating space in the wok.

• More the milk taken tastier the Kheer will be.

Suggested Variations:

• Rice can be replaced with 50 gm. Tal Makhana. Then the kheer can also be taken during fasting when cereals are not taken.

• Raisins can be added along with other nuts. 
• Incase Date jaggery is not available then sugar cane jaggery (Gud) can be taken, though the flavor of kheer will not be same as with Khajoor gud, but gud as sweetening agent is certainly different, tastier and healthier than sugar.