From Soya to Onion: 5 Unique Kheer Recipes

Kheer is a quintessential dessert in India, that we all have grown up eating. Be it any festival or occasion the creamy and aromatic dish has always added sweetness to our meal. We all have the memory of our mother feeding us kheer before our school exams as well as job interviews. It is one of the healthy desserts of India that contains fewer calories as compared to a lot of other desserts. Also known as Payasam, Kheer has significance on various auspicious occasions including Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, and Sharad Purnima. There are various types of kheer available in India with main ingredients like sabudana, apple, makhana, etc., but rice kheer is the most popular among all. 

1. Lehsun Kheer

Ingredients:

• 1 L whole milk
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 10-15 garlic cloves
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1 tsp charoli
• 1 tsp chopped nuts

Method:

• Soak garlic in white vinegar for 30 minutes.
• Put it in water and boil it properly.
• Fill in fresh water and repeat the procedure again.
• Heat milk in a pot and add sugar, bay leaf, and cardamom powder.
• Add chopped garlic into the milk and let the milk reduce to half.
• Finally garnish with saffron, and nuts, and serve.

2. Soya Kheer

Ingredients:

• ½ cup soya granules 
• 2 cup milk
• 4 tsp sugar 
• chopped nuts to garnish
• 1 tsp cornflour slurry 

Method:

• Put soya granules in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes.
• Drain them using a colander and wash them under running water.
• Boil milk in a saucepan and add soya granules, sugar, and cornflour slurry.
• Cook on medium flame and keep stirring. 
• As it starts to thicken add chopped nuts. 
• Refrigerate for half an hour & enjoy the chilled soya kheer.

3. Methi Kheer

Ingredients:

• ½ cup rice (soaked overnight)
• 3 ½ methi seeds (soaked overnight)
• 4-5 tsp grated jaggery 
• ½ tsp nutmeg powder 
• 1 tsp cardamom powder 
• 2 tsp blended fresh coconut
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp dry fruits 
• ½ tsp ghee
• 2 cup water
• Small pinch salt

Method:

• Heat ghee in a non-stick pan.
• Add soaked rice and methi seeds and sauté for a few seconds.
• Add water and salt and cook rice-methi seeds until soft.
• In another pan add grated jaggery and two tsp water and let it dissolve.
• Add grated coconut, cardamom, and nutmeg powder and mix well.
• Add chopped dry fruits and jaggery mixture into cooked rice and methi seeds. 
• Stir and simmer for 1 minute and switch off the heat.
• Mix coconut milk into the kheer and serve hot.

4. Onion Kheer

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 L milk
• 2 tsp ghee
• 6 jasmine flowers 
• 2 tbsp khoya
• Dates and jaggery to taste
• 1 tsp kevda water 
• 8 rose petals
• 6 saffron strands (soaked in warm milk)
• 1 pinch cardamom powder 
• 2 tbsp chopped mixed nuts
• 4 raisins
• ½ tsp rose water
• dried rose petals and nuts to garnish

Method:

• Add the chopped onion to one cup of water and cook for ten minutes
• Strain it and repeat the process three times with fresh water
• Keep the blanched thick onion pulp aside and boil milk separately
• Put ghee in a pan and add onion pulp
• Saute till color changes to light brown
• Add boiled milk, jasmine flowers, and soaked saffron to it and cook for five minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp khoya and mix well.
• Then add kevada water and rose petals and give it two boils.
• Now add a pinch of cardamom powder, nuts, and soaked raisins.
• Cook till it becomes thick
• Add chopped dates, jaggery, and rose water in the end and garnish with chopped nuts and dried rose petals.
• And serve hot.

5. Lychee kheer 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped lychees
• 2 tbsp rice
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 4 drops kewra essence
• 1 L milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 pistachios (crushed coarsely)
• 10 almonds (crushed coarsely)

Method:

• Coarsely grind the rice.
• Wash and soak it for thirty- minutes.
• Boil milk and add rice.
•  Stir continuously to keep rice from sticking to the bottom.
• Cook rice properly then add lychees and stir for five minutes.
• Add sugar, cardamom, essence, almonds, and pistachios.
• Stir and simmer for two more minutes.
• And serve chilled.

Try these kheer recipes and fill your weekend with sweetness.