Rice Kheer

Diwali season is come and this time, its a special diwali for me and my hubby as its our first diwali after marriage. So I thought I should prepare something special but not so complicated as I want it to be perfect. I immedietly think of Rice Kheer or otherwise called Ari Payasam in Malayalam. So let me share with you the most basic form of sweet item yet relished by many for Diwali and other festive occasion, which is one and only Rice Kheer. This is made in a slightly different way though.

Ingredients:

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Rice (Preferably broken rice or white rice or brown basmati rice): 1 cup

Ghee

Milk: 2 cups

Condensed milk (optional): 1/2 cup

Sugar: 1 cup (add more if you want it more sweet)

Cardamom powder or seeds: 1 teaspoon

Cashewnut : 3 0r 4 nos

Raisin: 3 or 4

Nutmeg powder (jaiphal , optional): 1/teaspoon

Saffron strands (optional): 2 or 3 nos

Method:

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1. In a vessel, heat ghee and fry the rice for 4 - minutes on low fire. This is to prevent the rice from sticking or becoming a paste when it is cooked, and also for taste enhancement.


2. Let it cool. Then soak it in water for 3 - 4 hours.


3. Drain the water completly. Wipe off excess water using a dry cloth.


4. Grind this rice until it is powdery. Do not use water for grinding. As the rice was soaked in water, it will not be as hard as raw rice. So make sure the rice is just powdered and not becomes a paste.


5. In another vessel, add milk and bring it to a boil. Then add the powdered rice and let it cook on medium fire. Stir in between to confirm that the rice is cooked, and also to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the vessel.


6. When the rice is cooked, add the sugar, condensed milk, cardamom, nutmeg powder, and saffron strands and stir again and cook for another 4-5 minutes.


7. In a pan, heat a little ghee, and add cashewnuts and raisins and fry until the raw taste is gone and also so that it absorbs the taste of the ghee. Add cashewnuts to the kheer. In a little water add raisins and wait until the raisin bulges a little because of the water content in it. Add it to the kheer without the left over water in which it was soaked and stir uniformly.


8. Can be served hot or chilled

Happy Diwali to one and all!!

Ambat (Konkani side dish)

Recently I had been pestering my friend, who is a Mangalorean, to send me some of her recipes. So she send me this typical konkani dish called Ambat which is prepared in Mangalore. Ambat is a konkani dish which is a main item in konkani temples during a festival or marriage feast. It has different varieties depending on the ingredients used. Sometimes ambat is prepared using ripe bananas in some parts of kerala, and sometimes using pulses. Here I am including the ambat prepared using white kidney beans. Hope you enjoy the dish.

Ingredients:
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1. White kidney beans (Large ones): 1 small glass full
2. Tomato : 1 no
3. Onion: 1 no
4. Potato: 1 no
5. Grated Coconut: 1/4 if medium sized and 1/2 if small
6. Red chilli: 3-4 nos depending on the spicy taste you want
7. Tamarind : a small ball soaked in water
8. Oil
9. Salt
10. Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Soak the beans overnite.
2. Peel the potatoes and slice them into very thin slices and cook them along with the beans in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
3. Grind coconut, red chilli, and tamarind until it forms a smooth paste.
4. Slice the tomatoes or make a tomato puree in the blender
5. Heat a little oil in a kadai and saute the onions until they turn golden brown
6. Add the tomatoes or puree and fry for around 20 seconds
7. Add cooked beans and potatoes
8. Add the coconut paste in step 3, add some water for gravy
9. Add salt and cook until the raw smell of coconut paste is gone.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Serve along with rice

Its easy to make and might take approximately 1/2 hour.