Wheat Kheer

This week the schools reopen after the winter vacations here in Belgium.  Life has got back to normal for us - no more bothering about what the children would be doing at home or what they would eat for lunch.  There is again a time for everything and a schedule to stick to.  Life is back in rhythm.  The first week the children are also excited to get back to school and friends after the break.  My daughter wanted to be in school 30 minutes before the bell rang so she can chat with her friends.  I am just happy everything is back to normal again.  As they say in India "All Izz Well".

I would describe kheer as a sweet dish or sort of porridge which would include wheat or carrots or some other vegetable or lentil with milk and sugar as the main ingredients and then flavoured with cardamom powder or nutmeg.  There are a lot of variations to the kheer and we will try a few together.  However, the basic or easiest would be the wheat kheer recipe.  Indian Clarified butter or ghee is used in the cooking of kheers.  Again, ghee adds aroma and flavour to the kheer.  It can easily be found at any South Asian or Indian store.  If ghee is unavailable, you can substitute butter in the recipe.

Soaked broken wheat

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Wheat Kheer

1 cup wheat

1 cup jaggery powder

1 cup coconut milk

Pressure cooked wheat

1 cup milk

½ cup cashew nuts and raisins

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

1 teaspoon ghee

Pinch of soda bicarbonate

Method:

1. Dry grind the wheat in a mixer coarsely to get broken wheat.   
2. Add two glasses of water to this wheat and pressure cook till soft (2 whistles).  
3. Add jaggery powder and soda and simmer for 2 minutes.  
4.  Stir in the milk and coconut milk gradually and simmer for 2 more minutes.   
5. Heat the ghee separately in another pan.   
6. When hot, fry the cashew nuts and raisins till brown and add to the kheer along with the cardamom powder.  Serve hot.