Makhana kheer

Name: Makhana kheer
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 litre full fat milk; 60 g makhana; 1 tbsp ghee; 80 g jaggery or 4 tbsp sugar; 4 green cardamom pods, crushed; A pinch of saffron, optional; 10 pistachios, slivered; 10 almonds, slivered

In Mithila this is not a dessert you make on a whim. It is what appears at Kojagara, when the full moon comes and makhana is handed round in every house. Milk reduced slowly, makhana softening into it, cardamom and a little jaggery. Nothing clever, and it does not need to be.

Time: 30 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Uses: Himalayan Pink Salt or raw makhana

Ingredients

8 to go

Base

Sweet and spice

To finish

Method

Worth knowing

Jaggery must go in off the heat. Sugar can go in while simmering.
Crushing half the makhana is the whole trick. It thickens without cornflour.
Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated and thicken further. Loosen with warm milk.

Keep cooking

Makhana chaat

10 min · Serves 2

Makhana in curry

25 min · Serves 3

Get the makhana

Makhana kheer

Ingredients

Method

Toast the makhana

Reduce the milk

Add the makhana

Sweeten off the heat

Rest and serve

Worth knowing

Makhana chaat

Makhana in curry