Kesar Pista Rice Kheer

 

On the auspicious occasion of Sharad Purnima/ Kojagiri Purnima, I made this tasty Kesar Pista Rice Kheer which is had as a prasad. This kheer is left overnight under the moon rays on the night of Sharad Purnima and is had the next day. Let us have a look at its recipe -

Ingredients (4 bowls):

• Full Cream Milk (preferably Buffalo Milk) - 1/2 litre
• Rice - 1 small cup
• Sugar - 4-5 tbsp
• Milk powder - 3 tbsp (optional)
• Green Cardamom powder - 1/4th tsp
• Saffron (Kesar) - 1 pinch
• Pistachios (Pista) - 7-8

Method:

• Bring the milk to a boil on high flame, then lower the flame, remove 2-3 tbsp milk in a small bowl and add saffron to it. Keep it aside for 5 minutes or more.
• Now, add the saffron milk to the boiling milk.
• In the meanwhile, coarsely grind the rice in a mixer. You should grind it such that the grains are just broken up into pieces rather than powdered. Add it to the boiling milk and cook the rice till they become soft. It may take around 15 minutes for the rice to cook. 
• Add sugar to it as per your taste and let it boil for 2 minutes, stirring it often.
• Add green cardamom powder to it, mix well and turn off the stove. 
• You can either add pistachio scrapings only for garnishing or can be added while boiling the kheer as well as for garnishing.