Makhana Kheer

Name: Makhana Kheer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
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)

मखाना खीर

By Geeta S · 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. This is Geeta’s recipe; the write-up is Zaika’s.

Ingredients

1½ cups phool makhana (fox nuts)1½ cups phool makhana (fox nuts)
1 tbsp ghee1 tbsp ghee
1 litre full-fat milk1 litre full-fat milk
6 tbsp sugar6 tbsp sugar
½ tsp green cardamom powder½ tsp green cardamom powder
10 almonds, slivered10 almonds, slivered
10 pistachios, slivered10 pistachios, slivered
A pinch of saffron (optional)A pinch of saffron (optional)

Method

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
2Set aside a third of them whole. Crush the rest coarsely — a few pulses in a grinder, or a rolling pin and some patience.
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
4Stir in the crushed makhana and simmer until the milk thickens enough to coat a spoon.7 min
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
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

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