Carrot Kheer is a crowd-pleaser Indian dessert that makes for a special festival food this Navratri. Warm and comforting flavors, visually appealing, rich and sweet, carrot kheer lends a striking dash of orange to the table. A decadent dessert to finish off a festive thali (meal).
Red carrots work best but you can use the orange ones too. I used the orange ones as I could not find the red carrots at my local farmer’s market. Use of whole milk and sweetened condensed milk yields a rich kheer.
Carrot Kheer Recipe
Cooking Time: 45 mts
Cuisine: North Indian
Serves 6-7 persons
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2 1/4 cups low fat milk, boil till it reaches 1 1/2 cups
1 cup grated carrot
4 tbsps sugar (adjust)
1/2 tsp cardamom pwd
pinch of saffron, mix with 2 tsps milk
5-6 cashew nuts/almonds, toasted in ghee
10-12 raisins, toasted in ghee
2 tbsps ghee
1 Heat a vessel, add ghee and toast the cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown. Remove from vessel, keep aside.
2 In the same vessel, add the grated carrot and saute for 5-6 mts. Add the boiled milk and simmer for 15-16 mts, stirring once in a while. Add sugar and simmer for another 10-12 mts, stirring once in a while.
3 Add the cardamom pwd, saffron and toasted cashews and almonds. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. It tastes good both warm and chilled.
Kitchen Tips:
You can substitute low fat milk with whole milk. Add 1-2 tbsps sweetened condensed milk towards the end of the cooking process for a richer taste.
