Oats Beetroot Kheer / Pudding / Payasam

          This is a simple and an easy to prepare Oats Beetroot Kheer where I added some beetroot puree to turn it into a healthy dessert. It can also be prepared during special occasions and festivals. Oats based kheer / pudding being my favorite, I keep experimenting. It is not only healthy but is a real comfort dessert for me. I like to indulge in it after every meal, especially after lunch.

          The vibrant color of the dessert not only looks appealing but also appetizing too. This thick and creamy dessert is a real visual treat. The addition of cardamom powder  gives it a mild flavor. Garnish with some chopped nuts and serve chilled for that ultimate experience. Relish it as an after-meal dessert or for breakfast with poori or paratha. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing dessert. 

 

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 2 tbsp. milk powder
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp. slivered pistachios
• few saffron strands
• 1 & 1/2 cups milk, boiled
• castor sugar to taste
• 5-6 tbsp. beetroot puree
• 1-2 tbsp. raisins
• chopped pistachios, almonds & raisins to garnish

          Heat ghee and sauté the oats for 2-3 minutes on a low flame. 

          Add the milk powder, slivered pistachios, saffron strands and cardamom powder. Mix well.

          Add the boiled milk, beetroot puree, sugar to taste and raisins. Stir well and simmer on a low flame by stirring continuously till it thickens. 

          Set aside to cool down. Then refrigerate for an hour. 

          Pour into individual bowls / cups and serve, garnished with chopped nuts. 

          Relish them as it is or as a side dish with poori  or parathas for a great comfort meal.

Gulkand Phirni (Rose Flavoured Rice Pudding)

         Phirni is a traditional Indian sweet / pudding  made of ground rice paste / flour in a thick milk based creamy dessert. But how about some Gulkand Phirni? It is absolutely an easy and at the same time a yummy dessert full of flavour. Do try it. 

          It goes well as an after-meal treat. I like having mine with pooris / parathas. It's divine. Serve them chilled preferably in small earthen bowls for an authentic touch. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 3 & 1/2 cups milk
• 3 tbsp. rice flour
• pinch of salt 
• 2-3 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. gulkand
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1-2 tbsp. raisins / chopped mixed nuts
• a pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp. milk
• few rose petals, pinch of cardamom powder & few chopped nuts to garnish

          Bring the milk to a boil. Add the rice flour gently, simultaneously stirring the milk with a whisk.

          Add in the gulkand, chopped nuts, sugar, salt and cardamom powder one after the other. Keep stirring on a medium flame till it becomes slightly thick.

          When done, add in the rose water and transfer to a serving bowl or individual bowls. Garnish with the saffron milk, chopped nuts, cardamom powder and rose petals. Chill to serve.

                                Bring milk to a boil. 

                                Add rice flour gently, 

                                 simultaneously stirring the milk with a whisk.

                                Add gulkand,

                                raisins,

                                 cardamom powder,

                                sugar, salt....

                   Simmer, stirring on a medium flame till thick. When done, add rose water.

                 Garnish with saffron milk, chopped nuts, cardamom powder & rose petals. 
                 Chill to serve.

Oats & Mango Kheer (Pudding)

          Mango season! So here comes a healthy concoction of Oats & Mango Kheer. Do try this delicious thick and creamy dessert,  laden with lots of dry fruits, milk and oats. It can be had as it is or as an after meal dessert. 

         The addition of cardamom powder, bay leaves and rose water gives it a mild flavour. Garnish with chopped dry fruits and saffron and serve them chilled. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 500 ml. low / full fat milk
• 2 tbsp. oats
• 1 tsp. ghee (opt)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cardamoms
• 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste (brown sugar can also be used)
• 1 & 1/4 cup mango pulp
• 1/2 cup chopped dry fruits (save some for garnishing)
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp. rose water
• pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tsp. water.

         Heat ghee in a pan and lightly roast the oats for a minute or till you get a nice aroma coming through, on a low flame. Keep aside. Bring the milk, bay leaves and cardamoms to a boil.

          Add the oats, sugar, cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits. Simmer on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes by stirring continuously. Keep aside to cool and discard the bay leaves.

          Now add the mango pulp and rose water. Mix well and serve chilled, garnished with remaining chopped nuts and saffron water.

Keep the chopped dry fruits aside.

Keep mango pulp aside.

   Heat ghee & lightly roast oats for a minute. Transfer

 to a plate & keep aside.

Bring the milk, bay leaves & cardamoms to a boil.

                                 Add oats, sugar, cardamom powder &......

                       .......chopped dry fruits. Simmer on med. flame for 4-5 min. by stirring
                       continuously. Keep aside to cool.

                                  Discard the bay leaves. Now add mango pulp & rose water. 
                        
                

Mix well.

Serve chilled, garnished with chopped nuts & saffron water.

Chooshi Pithe'r Payesh - Traditional Bengali Kheer / Payasam / Pudding

          Shubo Nobo Borsho (Happy Bengali New Year) to you all. On this auspicious day, here comes a traditional and a long forgotten Bengali dessert. Pithe is generally made during Sankranti and there are a number of varieties. And one of them happens to be "Chooshi Pithe'r Payesh".

          Try making it with date palm jaggery, the authentic way, it is simply mouth watering. This dessert has not been commercialized yet and remains purely a homemade one. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing delicacy.

          I had the opportunity of relishing it at the hands of my late grandma in law more than two decades back. And this is my very first attempt at making it. It turned out simply delicious. 

          You need to have a lot of patience to dish out this sweet, but it is worth all the effort. These days you get store bought Chooshi in Kolkata, but it is absolutely nothing compared to the satisfaction you get from home made chooshi.

• 1/2 cup rice flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 3 1/2 cups full cream milk
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 5-6 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 2 tbsp. pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. rose water

          To make the Chooshi - In a bowl add the rice flour and pinch of salt. knead into a dough by adding lukewarm water, little at a time. Cover and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

          Divide the dough into several small portions. Take each portion and roll lengthwise on a flour dusted surface.

          Divide it further into very small portions. Pick each portion and roll it lengthwise again. Take a small piece of the dough and roll out into chooshi shapes, around 2-3 cm. long  (as shown in the picture below) in between your palms. 

          Keep dusting with rice flour so that it does not stick to your hands. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.

          To make the payesh (Kheer) - Heat ghee in a pan and sauté the prepared chooshi for a minute. Keep aside. 

          Bring the full fat milk and the bay leaves to a boil in the same pan. Simmer on a low flame for 10-15 minutes by continuously stirring.

          Now add the evaporated milk and sugar. Simmer further for 5-10 minutes till the sugar is dissolved. 

          Now add the fried chooshi, chopped pistachios and coconut. Mix everything well and simmer on a low flame for 10-12 minutes by stirring continuously. 

          When done, add the cardamom powder and give it a stir. Take off the flame and allow it to cool down a little. Add the rose water and serve them chilled.
          

                                 Take rice flour & a pinch of salt in a bowl.

                               Knead into a dough by adding lukewarm water, little at a time.

               Divide dough into several small portions. Take each portion & roll lengthwise
               on a flour dusted surface.

                                 Divide it further into very small portions. 

                Pick each portion & roll out lengthwise again. Take a small piece of dough 
                and roll into chooshi shapes.....

               

                                 .... in between your palms as shown.

  
                                  This is how the chooshi's are shaped.

                                  Transfer to a bowl.

Heat ghee & sauté chooshi in it. Keep aside.

                      Bring full fat milk & bay leaves to a boil in the same pan. Simmer on
                      a low flame for 10-15 minutes by continuously stirring.

                 Add evaporated milk & sugar. Simmer further for 5-10 minutes till sugar is
                 dissolved. Add chopped pistachios.

                                  Add fried chooshi, 

                          Add coconut. Mix well & simmer on low flame for 10-12 minutes
                          by stirring continuously. 

               A dd cardamom powder & give it a stir. Take off the flame & allow it to cool.

                                  Add rose water & serve them chilled.