Rice Kheer: Make This Dil Se Indian Sweet Dish On Ashtami Or Navami To Impress Goddess Durga

Ashtami and Navami bring Navratri fasting to an end. Depending on what families celebrate, they cook a variety of dishes, arrange a thali with prasad, and perform veneration. Among several dishes, rice kheer or pudding is the most famous in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and other parts of India. 

The sweet dish is a part of bhog offered to Goddess Durga. In my home, we offer puri, sooji ka halwa, and rice kheer among other delicacies. These three things make the first morsel we eat on Ashtami after performing the veneration. 

This nutritious dish is quite easy to make and will leave you wanting for more.

How To Make Rice Kheer

• Soak a cup of short-grain rice for a couple of hours so that it softens, and you can separate some starch too. 
• Keep a pinch of saffron or kesar soaked in a tablespoon of warm or lukewarm milk. It will release its flavour and aroma in the liquid.
• Keep a kadhai or a deep pan on low flame and allow it to heat up. 
• You should pour at least a litre of full-fat milk and keep stirring it so that it does not stick to the base of the pan.
• You should ensure that the flame is medium or low.
• Keep stirring it at regular intervals until it boils to prevent the cream from forming on the surface.
• Once the milk has come to a boil, pour soaked rice into it after washing it and straining the water.
• In 15 minutes, you will notice rice grains swelling up, but you should continue with the stirring process. 
• Once you see rice 50-70% done, add sugar to taste. You can regulate the amount according to your health preferences and taste.
• Mix everything well on low-medium heat to prevent it from burning.
• When you think that the dish is 90% done, add crushed or whole dry fruits, including raising, almonds (Benefits Of Eating Almonds Every Day), cashews, pistachios, or anything else you prefer.
• To elevate the flavour, add half a teaspoon of fennel seeds and crushed cardamoms. 
• Mix everything well, turn off the flame, allow Kheer to cool off for 15-20 minutes and add kesar (Drink A Glass Of Saffron Water) milk to it. 
• Once the temperature of the kheer has reduced to room temperature, you can store it in the refrigerator and serve it cold.