Rice Kheer with Cahew-Almond Paste

Rice Kheer made from Jeera Samba Rice cooked in milk & Cashew-Almond paste. Jeera Samba Rice is fried in ghee and cooked. It is then added to boiling milk along with cashew-almond paste flavored with saffron and fried nuts. Jeera Samba rice gives nice aroma and flavor to the kheer. Cashew-Almond paste makes the kheer thick and creamy. Saffron for color and nuts for the crunch.

Ingredients :

• Jeera Samba Rice - 1 cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Milk - 4 cups
• Cashewnuts - 15
• Almonds - 30
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Chopped nuts - 1/4 cup
• Saffron - few strands
• Saffron Color a pinch (Optional)

Method :

• Wash jeera samba rice and soak them in water for 20 mins. Drain & Keep aside. Soak cashew nuts and almonds separately in hot water for 20 mins. 

• Peel the skin of almonds and take them in a mixer jar along with cashew nuts. Add little water and grind it to a fine paste.

• In a pressure cooker heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry drained jeera samba rice for 4-5 mins till aromatic. 

• Add 3 cups of hot water and stir. Close with the lid and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or till rice is done. Open the lid once pressure subsides.

• In a non-stick thick bottom pan take 4 cups milk and let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling add cooked rice and mix well.

• Add cashew-almond paste and allow it to come to a boil. 

• Add sugar and mix well. Add saffron strands and saffron color dissolved in water. 

• Mix well and simmer for few more mins till desired thickness is attained (Kheer will also thicken as it cools down). Check for sweetness and adjust. Fry chopped nuts (Cashews, almonds, pistas and raisins) in 2 tbsp ghee. Lastly add fried nuts to the kheer and mix.

• Serve the kheer hot or cold.

Kadabu

Kadabu are sweet dumplings prepared all over India especially during Ganesh Chaturthi. Outer covering is prepared with rice flour and stuffing with sesame, jaggery, roasted chana dal, coconut and cardamom powder. Here is the easy and yummy recipe of Kadabu with step by step pictures.

Rice Powder used for making kadabu is different than one available in stores. To prepare rice powder for kadabu follow the method below.
Method to prepare Homemade Rice Powder : Wash and soak raw rice in water for 2 hours. Drain the water completely and dry it on a clean thin cloth for 30-45 minutes. Once dry grind it to a fine powder. You can get it ground in the rice mill for large quantity or powder it in mixer. Let it cool. Sieve to remove any lumps and store it in air tight container and use when required. Home made rice powder for kadabu is ready. So lets get into making kadabu.

Ingredients :

For the rice flour dough :

• Homemade Rice Powder - 1 cup
• Water as needed approx. 1 to 1/4 cup
• Salt 1/4 tsp
• Sesame oil / Cooking oil - 1 tsp

For the stuffing :

• Roasted Chana Dal - 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds - 1/2 cup
• Jaggery powdered - 1/2 cup
• Grated Fresh Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Eliachi Powder - 1/2 tsp

Method :

To prepare the dough :

• In a vessel bring water to boil with a tsp of sesame oil/ cooking oil. In a bowl take homemade rice powder with salt. Mix well. (It requires less or more water depending on the quality of the rice powder. So make sure you boil enough water)

• Add boiling water to the rice powder and mix with a spatula. Once it is cooled enough to handle, grease your hands with oil and knead to a smooth dough. (Divide the dough into half and gather if it cannot be handled)

• Cover and keep aside while you prepare the stuffing.

To prepare the stuffing :

• In mixer jar take roasted chana dal and grind it to a fine powder. Sieve to remove any residue. Grind the residue and sieve. 

• Clean and wash sesame seeds. Dry them on a clean cloth. Dry roast sesame seeds till aromatic and pops out. Let it cool and grind them coarsely. (You can use either white or black sesame seeds or both)
• In a bowl take roasted chana dal powder, coarse sesame powder, powdered jaggery and cardamoom powder. Mix well.

• Add grated coconut to the filling and mix. Filling is ready.(Add coconut to the required amount of mix. You can store the mix for few days. But if you add coconut, it would get spoiled)

To prepare kadabu :

• Grease your hands with oil and make small lemon sized balls out of the dough.

• Take a ball and flatten it using a roti press/ papad press using wax paper/ plastic sheet greased with oil. (It should not be very thin/ thick. If it is very thin there is chances of breaking and if it is too thick there will be more of dough and less stuffing in a bite)

• Hold the flattened dough along with sheet and fill it with prepared filling in the center. Fold it and seal the edges by pressing lightly.

• Place it on a plate and prepare more kadabu. Meanwhile add water to the steamer and switch on the flame. 

• Arrange the prepared kadabu on a greased idli plate/ steamer plate and place it in the steamer with boiling water. Cover and let it steam for 5-7 minutes. (Water should be boiling before you place the kadabu inside the steamer)

• Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before taking them out. Steamed kadabu is ready. (There is a glossy look on kadabu if it is steamed well)

• Serve it warm.

Pineapple Avalakki Kesari

Pineapple Avalakki Kesari is a sweet dish prepared from avalakki/ poha/ aval/ flattened rice flakes. Got to know about this recipe through a cookery show. So I prepared this dish on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami to serve as a neivedhyam to Lord Krishna. Flattened rice flakes are fried in ghee and grinded coarsely and cooked in pineapple juice along with sugar and cardamom powder. Kesari color and pineapple essence is added to give color and flavor to the recipe. Add your favorite nuts to give crunch to this yummy dessert.

Ingredients :

• Avalakki/ Flattened Rice Flakes - 1 cup
• Pineapple Juice - 1 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Saffron Yellow Color - 1/8 tsp
• Pineapple Essence - 2 tsp
• Ghee - 3 tbsp
• Nuts - 1/4 cup

Preparation :

• Take roughly chopped pineapple in a mixer jar and grind it using little water. Strain the the juice and discard the residue. Pineapple juice and water quantity in any ratio together should be double the quantity of flattened rice flakes.

Method :

• In a non-stick pan heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry nuts till golden. Remove to a bowl and keep aside.

• In the Same pan heat remaining ghee and fry rice flakes in medium flame with out changing its color. Let it cool.

• Transfer the cooled rice flakes to a mixer jar and grind to a coarse powder.

• In the same pan take pineapple juice, water and let it come to a boil. On medium flame add powdered rice flakes and mix well. Cook until all water is absorbed and rice flakes is cooked and soft. 

• Now add saffron color and pineapple essence and mix well. Add sugar and mix. (Add sugar only after rice flakes is cooked)

• Dont worry if the mixture turns watery. Keep on stirring on medium flame until kesari becomes a whole mass with out sticking to sides of pan. Add cardamom powder and fried nuts. Mix well and switch off the flame.

• Pineapple Avalakki Kesari is ready to be served.