Kheer - Pink Saturday

Ingredients for Kheer



Kheer - An Indian and Nepalese Rice Pudding



A Namaste for Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Kheer, the Indian version of rice pudding, was offered at the end of every evening meal Bob and I had while in India and Nepal. It's a very simple preparation of rice and milk that's flavored with a few spices and cooked down to thicken the mixture to a pudding-like consistency. It lacks the custard quality of its American cousin and can often be almost soupy. It is a very popular dessert and no wedding or festival in India or Nepal would be complete without it. It, fortunately, is very easy to prepare and it's a great dish for a novice cook or one who is just beginning to explore the wonders of Indian cooking. There are literally hundreds of recipes available for kheer. Each region of India or Nepal has a version all its own and families within those areas further modify the recipes to suit their tastes and pocketbooks. The version I'm sharing with you is one I was taught while in India and it's barebones easy to do. You'll find other, more sophisticated, versions of the dish in the recommendations found at the bottom of the this post. I hope you'll give kheer a try. Here's how to make a very simple version of Indian rice pudding.

Kheer...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Basmati rice
1 tablespoon ghee
6 cups milk
10 tablespoons sugar
A few strands of saffron
1 teaspoon golden raisins
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup cashews or almonds or pistachios (thinly sliced)

Directions:
1) Soak rice in water for 30 minutes before cooking. Drain.
2) Melt ghee in a large pan. Add rice and saute until translucent.
3) Add milk to rice and simmer until liquid has been reduced by half.
4) Stir in sugar and saffron and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add raisins, nuts and cardamom and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm or cold. Yield: 4 -6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Watermelon, Sago and Carrot Kheer - Priya's Easy N' Tasty Recipes
Sweet Potato Kheer - Food for Thought
Firni: Rice Pudding with Saffron and Nuts - eCurry
Badam Kheer - Sounds Spicy
Pressure Cooker Payasam (Kheer) - Niya's World
Carrot Kheer - Maria's Menu

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Goat Herder's Mac 'N' Cheese - Blue Monday

Mustard Field - Alvadore Oregon



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If goat herder's actually made mac 'n' cheese this is what they'd eat. This creamy pasta is made from goat's milk and chevre with bits of hot pepper and tomato added for a splash of color. I've used small shells as a vehicle to capture the lovely sauce the macaroni is warmed in, but any pasta could be used. Those who love the crunch of a classic mac 'n' cheese will probably be disappointed with this version, but anyone who is willing to experiment and is looking for a new approach to an old favorite will be pleased. Goat's milk has a salty undertone and is a bit sweeter that cow's milk. While the milk is not popular in the United States, it is the milk of choice in other parts of the world. You should be able to find it in most large grocery chains or in the dairy section of health food stores. This version of mac 'n' cheese is assembled from fully cooked ingredients that are combined and warmed just before serving. The final dish is creamier than it's more common counterpart and it is wonderful as a side with plain grilled meat or poultry. It is very rich so keep serving portions slight smaller than you would normally serve. This is a lovely pasta and, fortunately, it is also easy to do. While I doubt you'll have to worry about leftovers, they will keep for several days if well-wrapped and refrigerated. I hope you'll give this a try. Here's the recipe.

Goat Herder's Mac 'N' Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups goat's milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and very finely diced
1 large Roma tomato, seed and very finely diced
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
8 ounces cooked shells or other small pasta

Directions:
1) Place goat's milk, salt and pepper in a 3-quart sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by one-third. Lower heat and keep warm.
2) Combine butter and flour in a small skillet and whisk over moderate heat until a roux forms. Whisk into goat's milk. Bring mixture back to the simmer and cook until sauce thickens. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in lemon juice, jalapeno, tomato, cheese and pasta and cook until cheese melts and pasta is warmed through. Again check for seasoning. Serve hot. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Truffled Mac 'N' Cheese - One Perfect Bite
Chili-Mac Skillet - One Perfect Bite
Heaven-Sent Macaroni and Cheese - Food Blogga
Caramelized Shallots and Sage Mac and Cheese - Nosh and Tell
Mac and Cheese to Please - The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Quick Macaroni and Cheese - I'm Running to Eat

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday