Makhanna Kheer (Puffed lotus seeds pudding)

Makhana Kheer
(Puffed Lotus seed Pudding)

Makhana kheer is an unusual desert generally prepared during Navaratri fast and krishan janmashtami. It is made by Makhana, milk, sugar and nuts. First makhana are chopped then they are sautéed with butter or ghee then they are cooked in milk on low heat till milk is thick and creamy, then they are garnish with almonds and pistachios.

Makhana are puffed lotus seeds and are used in making several sweet dishes and snacks but mainly used for vrat (fast) as phalahar and Makhana brittles are prepared during Krishan janmastami. In

Northern India Makhana are often used for snack. They are either sautéed in ghee or fried then spices are sprinkled on them then they are served as tea time snack. Makhana kheer is very easy to make and you can enjoy it anytime you like having it.

Ingredients:

2    Cup of Makhanas
2    Tablespoons ghee or melted sweet butter
6    Cups of whole milk
2    Tablespoons almonds – Chopped or thin sliced (12 almonds)
1   Tablespoon pistachios – Thin sliced (optional)
¼    Cup of sugar or to your taste

Optional:

Few strings of saffron
Green cardamoms (½ Teaspoon crushed cardamoms seeds)
Raisins

Cooking measurement conversion
Measurement converter

Makhana seeds (Lotus seeds)

Milk

Ghee (or butter)

Pistachio-Sliced

Cardrooms seeds

Slice Almonds

Sugar

Saffron strings

Directions:

1. Remove if there are any black hard shell on Makhannas (brown spots are
fine). With a scissor cut makhanas into halves.

Cut Makhana's in halves

Makhana halves

2. Heat butter or ghee in a frying pan or a sauce pan, add makhana halves and
sauté about 5 minutes on low heat. Makhanas will become crispy.
Keep them aside.

In a pan add butter or ghee and heat

Add Makhana halves in the pan

Sauté Makhana seeds

Sautéed Makhana seeds

3. In a sauce pan add milk and bring it to boil on low medium heat, while keep
stirring periodically so that milk does not burn from the bottom.

In a pan add milk and boil

4. While Milk is boiling in the Mortar and pestle crush Cardamoms seeds and
saffron.

In a Mortar & pestle add cardamoms seeds & saffron & crush

Crushed cardamoms and saffron

5. At first milk will boil and rise up, it may start coming out of the pan to
prevent that leave the cooking spoon in the milk and stir frequently, in few
minutes Milk will settle down.

Milk is boiling

Stir Milk to keep Milk down

Leave the cooking spoon in milk

Milk settles down

6.  Turn the heat even lower, once milk settles down let it boil, stir periodically
    and scrape the sides of the pan and collecting the cream layer on the sides and
  add back into the milk

Stir and scrape the sides of the pan

6. You will notice that layer of skin (malai) will start forming on top of the milk.
With a spoon or spatula give a gentle stir to the milk and then let it simmer
again.

Layer of skin (Mali) form on the top of Milk

Keep mixing skin in the Milk

7. Keep doing this process until milk become thick.

8. In about 40 to 45 minutes milk started to become thick.

Milk become thick

9. Once Milk become thicker, add crushed cardamom and saffron and mix.
Saffron gives Milk nice yellowish color.

Add crushed cardamoms and saffron

Mix cardamoms and saffron well with Milk

Milk is ready

10. Once milk become thicker add sautéed Makhana's and mix them with milk.

Add sautéed Makhanna's in the Milk

Mix Makhana's in the Milk

11. let the makhanas and milk simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until Makhanas
become soft.

Simmer Makhana's on low heat

Let Makhana's simmer

Makhana's become soft

12. Once Makhanas becomes soft and milk become thick and creamy, add sugar
and mix.

Add sugar and mix

Makhana kheer is cooked

13. Once become soft and kheer is ready add half of the nuts, mix and cook for
another 1 minute. Turn the stove off.

Sprinkles nuts over kheer

Mix nuts with the kheer

Makhana Kheer is ready

14. Transfer the kheer in a serving bowl and sprinkle other half of nuts.

15. Serve the makhana kheer hot or cold.

Makhana Kheer

Garnish kheer with chopped Almonds and pistachio's

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you.

Geeta Seth

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Sabudana kheer (Tapioca pudding)                    Gulab jamun

Phirni (Rice pudding)                                       Shrikhand (Sweet hanged yogurt)

Makhana Kheer (Puffed Lotus seed Pudding)

Makhana Kheer
(Puffed Lotus seed Pudding)