Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Aam Kheer -- sunshine in December





See how pretty it looks.

Warm, sunny happy that is what you would say looking at this delicious Aam Kheer or Mango Kheer and there is no two thoughts about it. It is magnificently delicious, if there was a phrase like that.

But warm, sunny, happy was not how my mood was when I was making it. Not the dish's fault really but mine.

My Ma used to make kheers like this very often, in winter she would add kamla lebu(oranges) to make the sweet, luscious kamola kheer, in other times she would add rasgulla to this kheer to make rosogolla'r payesh and during summer it would be mangoes to make aam kheer. Ok, actually aam kheer was rare, mangoes were much enjoyed as is.
The casual air with which she made it, made the whole process seem extremely easy and quick. You were lulled into the false belief that saying "Abra Cadabra" reduces whole 1 liter of milk to a quarter in a jiffy. And she even smiled at the end of that process, a smile of content.





Me, I have many virtues(ahem!!), sadly patience does not top that list. So Last Thursday when I started the process of reducing a mere 1 liter of milk around 10 at night, my mood had turned severely sour after the first 45 minutes. The milk was stubborn, needed to be babysat and craved much more mollycoddling than Baby A. The fact that I had had a long day and needed to be up by 6 next morning made me more edgy and I was throwing around angry looks and angrier words by 11.

D meanwhile was standing by the sink and calmly licking the lid and bottom of the condensed milk can in a manner which called for severe caustic remarks. A guy who doesn't have any respect for rules in the kitchen and that includes, the kheer maker gets to lick the condensed milk can, is a threat to the kitchen environment and needs to be dealt by K(Kitchen)PA if not EPA.

Finally around 20 past 11 the milk had reduced to half of its original, my Ma insists on reducing a little bit more, but I had reached my limits.





After a night in the refrigerator, the kheer had thickened a little more and it was just perfect the next day. This time I served a little differently by layering and mixing mango pulp only for the second layer (as in Serving Suggestion 2 in the recipe). It helped that I had only few guests so I could prepare a serving for each beforehand and then chill in the refrigerator. This aam kheer (mango kheer) was a major hit, it was such a creamy mango delight that people just loved it.

This is actually a very easy dessert, the only thing to keep in mind is not trying to start the process when time is a constraint or one is tired. This works very well made ahead though. So you can make the plain kheer a couple of days ahead when you have time and just serve it on the day of the party.


Read more...







Aam Kheer/Mango Kheer



What You Need

Whole Milk ~ 1 litre

Sweetened Condensed Milk ~ 1 can

Sugar ~ 1/3 cup or less

Mango Pulp ~ 1 cup. Either use fresh mangoes to make the pulp or use a canned one

Fruits ~ Small pieces of cubed mangoes if they are in season else a can of Dole Tropical fruits cut up in bite size pieces

Few strands of saffron

Blanched slivered almonds or Pistachios for garnish

How I Did It

In a heavy bottomed deep pan heat the milk

Bring the milk to boil and then stir it intermittently

Add a can of condensed milk and continue the process of stirring

When the milk has reduced a little add the sugar. Note: If you don't like too sweet avoid the sugar

Keep on stirring continuously at medium heat till the milk has reduces to almost half the initial volume. By this time the color of the milk would take on a creamy hue and it would have thickened. Continuous stirring is necessary else the milk may stick to the bottom and burn. This process of reducing the milk will take a little more than an hour at medium heat.

Add a few strands of saffron when the milk has almost reduced to the desired consistency

The consistency is now like smooth kheer

Pour in a serving bowl and put in the refrigerator.

Now to serve I do it two ways

Serving Suggestion 1: Once the kheer has cooled down, add 1 cup of mango pulp and mix well. While serving serve with cubes of fresh mangoes or if mangoes are not in season serve with any other tropical fruit. I have used Dole canned tropical fruits for this purpose. Garnish with blanched slivered almonds or pistachios and serve chilled. This is how it is done in Indrani's Aam Kheer

Serving Suggestion 2: Once the kheer has cooled down, divide in two portions.
To one half add 1/2 cup of mango pulp and swirl. The other half remains plain.

In a parfait glass or wine glass or a dessert bowl add a layer of the Plain kheer(the portion without mango). Add cubes of fresh mangoes or if mangoes are not in season any other tropical fruit. I have used Dole canned tropical fruits for this purpose.

Top this with a layer of the kheer with mango pulp

Garnish with blanched slivered almonds or pistachios


Similar Recipes:

Orange Kheer or Kamola Kheer


Easy Mango Dessert -- done in minutes

Paayesh -- the traditional rice kheer

30 comments:

  1. it does look like sunshine,..:-

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  2. Well, you recovered enough to have the patience to do individual servings and stylish, two-layered ones at that! I dunno if I'd have recovered at all.

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  3. I can swear u ve patience standing and reducing the milk after 11 pm! I never attempted anything after 8 pm in my kitchen!
    This one really brings lots of sunshine!

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  4. After all that, you still laid them out beautifully and clicked them too ... and you say you are impatient. :-)
    Next time try licking that can while babysitting the milk ... maybe that'll work. ;-)
    I have been wanting to try that komola kheer ... now one more to my list. Darun dekhte hoyeche kheer ta Sandeepa! :-)

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  5. Sandeepa, it looks sunny AND cool. I recently tried something called Amrakhand which is very tasty. Shreekhand is a very very thick mishti doi sort of thing popular in maharashtra and gujarat. Amrakhand is the same with mango bits in it

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  6. Sandeepa,
    looks too good :) ..the effort is worth it but not at 11 at night and plus you were tired :)...our mothers always made things look so easy for us , but when we try it out that in practical we know arey baap re!
    hugs and smiles

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  7. I love this sunshine! I recenlty had this experience when I tried making wheat halwa for Diwali. Its a different story that I would write about it in a post ;) I love this type of kheer. Sandeepa u're making me to grab that bowl right from the screen :(

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  8. Dear sandeepa
    So you had an exciting time while "kheer sitting" !! ( When I run into such situation I call it very exciting, like house painting supervision etc :-)
    Jokes apart, very nice sweet dish and looks terrific!!.
    I think there is no escape from reducing the milk by boiling. I have used a 20 to 25 % solution of milk powder to simulate 50% reduction. It was Ok if the final product is heavily flavored with Vanila, cardamum et al. Otherwise the typical aroma and taste of a slow boiled kheer is un-replaceable.
    Bhalo theko
    Ushnishda

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  9. looks simply irresistible!! I think it's worth the 1 hour 20 minutes of effort!!! that's a delicious drink indeed; I love mangoes and I'm a real dairy sweets freak!!

    But I think I don't have the patience for that, each time I attempt reducing the milk, I end up irritated by scratching the dish or spoiling the flavour by burning it :)) if I do this, then, it would be a big challenge for me!!and even if I do it, I think I'll never share it with anyone :):)

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  10. I get the moral of the story Sandeepa loud and clear. Never reduce milk after 10:00 PM it gets stubborn :)

    Just the sunshine for the cold gloomy days. Looks magnificent yes. I found these couple of weeks ago, they are called - yellow mangoes, name cannot get mundane than that but they are the best. No strings and when ripe sweet. I found them in an international market. If you have one you should pay a visit.

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  11. Notyet, Rekha, Nithya

    Thanks :)

    Sra

    Oh no the servings were done on Sat. I had more than 24 hrs to recuperate :)

    Cham

    I start only after 8:30 -- 9:00 PM. Can't do much when the little one is awake :(

    Sharmila

    I did not do the servings that day, that was done a day later. I had all intentions to lick that can, why did you think I got angrier ;-)

    Knife

    I love shrikhand. I used to work in Mumbai you know, lived there for about 8 months before moving to B'lore. But had very little money and B'bay was so expensive, so we used to eat at all street side places :)

    Jaya

    The kheers are worth that work, only maybe I shouldn't have started that late, plus I was worried 'coz I had to be up early next day. And yes Moms do make it look simple

    Nirmala
    Now do a post, am waiting to know :)

    UshnishDa

    "Kheer sitting" thats a good term :D

    AS

    Well reduced kheers always taste amazing. Try it once, you need peace & no anxiety though

    Jyo
    Come over :)

    Indo

    You summed it up right. Shall look for those. I don't know if we have a International market

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  12. If i make something sweet by 10 in the evening my hubby would put me in a mad house ;-)
    Looks beautiful and so os drooley.

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  13. Dear sandeepa
    I am learning many non-cooking words from u and using at full swing. The kheer sitting phrase I picked up from your " Babysat the stubborn milk"; so also " Goat in the back yard " , un-friend etc . Just LOL
    I am sure you will maintain your great sense of humor all the time !!
    Bhalo theko ar week end -e bhalo bhalo ranna kor-e, kha-io, khe-o ar amader sikhi-o :-)

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  14. Sandeepa, just the thought of mango brings that warm, cosy feeling inside me. Wish it were not so cold here :-(
    You talk about boiling milk at 10 in the night, I would have blown my top even at 10:00 AM on Saturday.
    Loved the aam ki kheer and also happened to see that easy breezy mango dessert. Will definitely keep them in mind.

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  15. I have nothing to say but that Iam surely making it and regret not going to India during the summers :(

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  16. Sandeepa, aam kheer looks wonderful..good food costs a lot of patience always...I always keep a tin of mango pulp in my pantry,as my cravings for mango never ends..thanks for linking my post

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  17. Sandeepa, I was just telling a couple who's about to get married about howm my wife and i used to eat out every night before we got married. Streetside. And yet I went bankrupt a couple of days before I got married.

    Just came back to the post again and was marvelling the photos. Jibe jol pore.

    Kalyan

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  18. Hi.I just found your blog & love all the recipes... my husband is from Bangladesh, so now I have some great recipes to try thanks to your blog.

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  19. ooh, that is mean to talk about mangoes in winter. happy winter and new year to you, D and the little angels.

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  20. Oh my..they look very good. R does the exact same thing with the lid while I am stirring away grrrrrrrrrr

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  21. just looking at it makes me happy..

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  22. Hi Sandeepa,
    Too sad that the mango season in India gets over really fast. I haven't seen canned mango pulp in the city I stay in. Maybe I will deep freeze some in the next season. Till then, I shall have to wait till the summers to try this recipe!

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  23. MMMmmmmm Sandeepa a sunshine recipe with sunshine pictures. I can imagine the ordeal of reducing the milk.. never did it. oto raate baniye abar eto shundor photo tulle at bolcho patience nei..

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  24. MAngo in the midst of winter, that's really a wonder. the aam kheer looks so gorgeous.

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  25. I finally made this kheer, Sandeepa! Turned out great, with a few changes based on availability:) Hubby says "Thanks" to you, so I'm passing it on...

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  26. Hi love your blog.
    Reading this recipe thought about sharing my version, which is slightly different bust tastes yummy.
    I can Kesar Mango pulp
    1/2cup brown sugar
    250ml thick cream.
    Heat the mango pulp and boil for 3-4 mins. Take off from fire to cool a bit and add the double cream. Put it back on fire and cook for 5 mins.
    This ets done in literally 15 mins start to finish.
    I serve them in a small shallow soup bowl with a nice dollop of Vanilla ice cream in the middle.
    Nayani

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    Replies
    1. great.loved it. going to make soon. thanks

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