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.

Pahari /Kumaoni Kheere Ka Raita (Cucumber and curd preparation)

Pahari Kheere Ka Raita

There are many ways of preparing cucumber raita; my favorite is Kumauni kheere ka raita. It has got a tangy taste and makes a very good accompaniment with all vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes. In Uttarakhand though it is eaten with each and every meal but dry potato vegetable, puri and raita is the most popular combination. I can never forget the chill of December and hot aloo ki sabji, piping hot puri and raita served most lovingly by my dear mom. The smell and taste lingers till now. Try this raita I can assure you and your family are going to love it.

Preparation: Time 15 min.

Servings: 5 – 6 medium  helpings

Ingredients Required For Making Raita:

• 250 gm. Kheera (cucumber)

• 250 gm. Thick Curd

• 1 Tea spoon Mustard Seeds (Yellow mustard seeds are best for it)

• 1 tea spoon paste of green chili / finely cut green chili

• Salt to taste

• 1/4 Tea spoon Turmeric powder

• 1 Tea spoon powder of roasted Cumin seeds

• 1/2 Tea spoon Red chili

• Few sprigs of coriander leaves

Directions  For Making Kheere Ka Raita:

• Grind the mustard seeds with water into paste filter it and keep aside or make fine powder of mustard seeds.

Filtered Paste of Mustard seeds

Mustard Paste

• Wash and peel the cucumber.

Peeled Cucumber

• Remove the inner soft part with seeds.

Pulpy portion of Cucumber not to be used in Raita

•  Grate the remaining part of cucumber.

Center pulpy portion of cucumber removed

• Squeeze the water from grated cucumber and keep it aside.

Grated Cucumber

•  Beat the curd add grated cucumber to it and mix it.

Cucumber mixed in Curd

•  Add salt, turmeric powder, mustard seed paste / powder, green chili paste / finely cut green chili and mix nicely.

Green Chili, Mustard powder, Turmeric powder salt added to curd and cucumber

• Keep it aside for at least 30 min. for the flavor of mustard seeds to come out and give the tangy taste to the Raita.

• Take the raita in a serving bowl and decorate it with roasted cumin seed powder and red chili powder / any green herb of your liking.

• Wash and drain coriander sprig, cut finely.

• Garnish the decorated raita with the coriander leaves.

• Tangy raita with wonderful flavor is ready.

• Serve this raita with any type of meal it goes well with everything.

• Kumauni fare would be raita, aloo Gutuk and puri.

Pahari Kheere Ka Raita

Tips:

• Make sure all inner pulp with seeds is completely removed.

• Squeeze away as much water from grated cucumber as possible to get thick raita.

• Do not throw the water you get by squeezing the cucumber; use it for making dough of Roti / puri.

Suggested Variations:

• Radish or Potato can be used in the absence of cucumber.

• If radish or potato are used then they have to be peeled before grating and then boiled in salted water till they become soft and cooked.

• Cool after boiling then squeeze excess water  and then put into thick curd