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Makhana Kheer

मखाना खीर

By Pooja H · 30 min · serves 4

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A bowl of kheer garnished with slivered nuts and cardamom
Photo: Deep Dasgupta / Pexels

Fox nuts turn to silk in hot milk, which is why this kheer needs no rice and no soaking — it is the fastest festival sweet there is. Roasting the makhana in ghee first is not optional: unroasted, they go slippery and squeak against the teeth. Crushing half of them is the trick that thickens the milk without flour.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups phool makhana (fox nuts)
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 litre full-fat milk
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp green cardamom powder
  • 10 almonds, slivered
  • 10 pistachios, slivered
  • A pinch of saffron (optional)

Method

  1. 1Roast the makhana in the ghee over low heat until they turn crisp and snap cleanly when pressed — they should not colour much beyond pale gold.6 min
  2. 2Set aside a third of them whole. Crush the rest coarsely — a few pulses in a grinder, or a rolling pin and some patience.
  3. 3Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy pan, then lower the heat and let it reduce, scraping the cream back in from the sides as it forms.10 min
  4. 4Stir in the crushed makhana and simmer until the milk thickens enough to coat a spoon.7 min
  5. 5Add the sugar, cardamom, saffron and the whole makhana. Cook two minutes more — just long enough for the sugar to dissolve and the whole ones to soften without losing their bite.2 min
  6. 6Take it off the heat and stir in the nuts. Serve warm, or chilled — it thickens as it cools, so loosen with a splash of milk if you refrigerate it.

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Nutrition

Estimated, per serving.

Calories
240
Protein
8 g
Carbs
32 g
Fat
9 g

This recipe was written for the Zaika app

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