The evening air is a little chilly as we head into the early days of winter. Our son is busy playing outside with the neighbor’s kids. My cook walks in from her quarters at the back of the house, ready to fix evening tea. My husband is a little late, so I tell her not to worry, I will take care of it, and she can come to fix the rotis (phulkas and chappatis) for dinner. I open the refrigerator to take out the milk for chai and notice a cup of cooked basmati sitting in the back of the refrigerator from two days ago. Ever one to recycle food before it gets bad, I decide to fix kheer for dessert. I have enough milk, and there is a cup of clotted cream that I have been gathering these past few days.
The milk is delivered from the local doodhwala (milkman), who rides in on his bike with two huge milk cans of fresh milk tethered to either side of the metal back seat. It always amazes me how he manages to balance those heavy-laden cans that are strapped to his bicycle. He arrives diligently twice a day, morning and evening, ringing his bicycle bell loud and clear to announce his arrival. He dips a measured ladle with a large handle into the can and pours the milk into the dekchi (a flat-bottomed cooking pot) held out to him. Since it is not pasteurized, the milk has to be boiled.
After I pasteurize the milk, and once it has cooled completely, I gather the thick layer of cream that forms on top (clotted cream). I use the cream in desserts, churn it into homemade butter, or convert the butter into desi ghee (clarified butter). One of my favorite ways to have the cream is to whip it until it is smooth and then add a large dollop to my cup of coffee (with milk and sugar, of course!). I also like to mix it with jam and slather it over a slice of bread. We can buy the “machine milk,” as the factory-pasteurized, store-bought milk is called, but there is nothing like fresh milk!
Rice Kheer is a very easy-to-make rice pudding, but it is tedious as you have to stay around the stove and stir the kheer often. Since it is my day off, I have nothing else to occupy my time, so I move into the kitchen and start on the rice kheer. With luck, it should be ready before my husband arrives!
Rice Kheer (Rice Pudding)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup clotted cream (or ¾ cup half & half)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp crushed cardamom
- 1 tbsp golden raisins (optional)
- 2 tbsp sliced or slivered blanched almonds (or cashew nuts if you prefer)
- 1 tsp rose water (optional)
- 10 blanched whole almonds or pistachios (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, pour in the milk, sugar, and cooked rice. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Make sure the milk and rice are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Now add the cardamom, raisins, almonds, and clotted cream.
- Continue cooking on low, stirring frequently, until the kheer thickens and the rice is creamy.
- Do a taste test – if you want to add more cardamom or sugar, you can do so.
- Pour into a serving bowl, stir in rose water if you would like, and garnish with nuts. Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
Milkman Photo by Phil DuFrene on Unsplash