Nolen Gurer Payesh (Date Palm Jaggery Kheer)

Kheer or payesh is an Emotion to many of us, who have a sweet tooth. Kheer is a Global dish and it unites three different cooking traditions - Southern Asian, Persian and Western. Of course this is known by different names like rice pudding in the West, Payasham in the South and Shir Berenj in the Middle Eastern countries. Here the twist is, in the frame you can see creamy, delicious and thick kheer made with rice and this is a no-sugar kheer. I have added date palm jaggery to keep the sweetness intact. 

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1/2 cup  (Joha or Gobindobhog)
2. Jaggery - 2-3 tsp (as per your taste buds)
3. Milk - 1 cup
4. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Nuts (any nuts of your choice) - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
6. Raisins - 1 tsp
7. Ghee - 1 tsp

Process:   

  

1. Add rice to a pot and rinse it very well. Soak for half an hours to reduce cooking time.

2. Pour milk in heavy bottom kadhai or pot and add soaked rice and let it cook on low flame, stirring occasionally. Cook until the rice becomes soft and light. Add cardamom powder and remove from flame. Keep aside and let it cool down on room temperature. It will become more thicken upon cooling.

3. In a separate pan, add jaggery powder and half cup of water, and boil it properly. Let is also cool down on room temperate. Once the jaggery syrup is completely cooled down, add this syrup into the kheer. 

4. Fry the nuts and raisins in ghee and pour it over the kheer.

Serve Date Palm Jaggery kheer warm or chilled. 

This is very special during Makar Sankranti in Assam and West Bengal.