Kheer in Saawan (Shravan) Month

The initial month of monsoon season in India marks the beginning of “Saawan/ Shravan” month. This month is considered as the month of renewal and rejuvenation. Moreover Shravan month is devoted to Lord Shiva according to Hindu religious beliefs and is considered a Holy and Auspicious month. Any auspicious occasion in our country is celebrated with sweet dish and Kheer in Saawan (Shravan) month is one of the most popular sweet dish.

Preparation of Kheer in this holy month of Saawan is believed to bring prosperity and happiness in life.

Even Ayurveda recommends Kheer in its list of “Happy” food for good health.

The real popularity of Kheer is accounted to its religious association and temples.

What is “Kheer”?

Kheer is an Indian sweet dish prepared mostly by slowly cooking rice with milk and sweetener like sugar. With time and evolution various methods and ingredients to prepare Kheer are introduced. Historically, Jowar and millets were used instead of rice to make Kheer.

History of Kheer

According to historians, “Kheer” was derived from Sanskrit word “Kshirika” that means “dish prepared from milk”.

The first mention of Kheer is found in the 14^th Century Padmavat of Gugarat as a sweet preparation of jowar and milk.

How to Make Kheer?

India is known all over the world for its versatility, so as the Indian cuisine.

Kheer is also such an Indian sweet dish that has multiple variations equally tasty and delectable.

Make it simple Kheer, Makhana Kheer, Apple Kheer, Almond Kheer, Payasam, Ksheeram, Payasa, Phirini and so on. Here I am sharing simplest and basic recipe of Kheer that is very easy to make and very delicious. Yesterday itself I prepared it at my home.

Recipe of Kheer

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rice (basmati rice)
• 1 liter whole milk/ full cream milk
• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
• 4 green cardamom crushed and powdered
• 4-5 tablespoons sugar, adjust to taste
• 4 tablespoons chopped cashews & almonds

Steps to Make Kheer Kheer in Saawan (Shravan) Month

1. Rinse the rice properly. Soak it in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes are up, drain the rice using a colander and set aside.
2. Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Then add 1 teaspoon of ghee to it and add soaked & drained rice.
3. Toss the rice with the ghee for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until aromatic.
4. Then add the milk to the pan and stir well. Set heat to medium-high.
5. Let the milk come to a boil, this will take around 10-12 minutes. Stir in between so that milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Once the milk has come to a boil, lower the heat to low and let the kheer cook for around 20 minutes on low heat. Stir every 2 minutes or so. The milk will reduce considerably after 20 minutes and the kheer would look thick and the rice will be completely cooked. If you want more thick kheer, cook for 15 more minutes at this point.
7. Add in the sugar, cardamom powder and nuts and mix.
8. Cook the kheer for 5 more minutes after adding the sugar and nuts. The sugar should dissolve completely. Don’t worry if your kheer doesn’t look very thick at this point. It will continue to thicken as it cools down.
9. Remove pan from heat. Garnish with more nuts and serve kheer warm or chilled.

Recipe Notes:

• Add few drops of rose water, kewda essence or Saffron for flavours.
• Condensed milk can also be used alongwith normal milk to make kheer creamier.
• Natural sweeteners like jaggery or dates can also be used.