Desserts
Basmati Kheer with Cinnamon Apples
A simple, slow-cooked basmati kheer, finished with double thick cream and apples fried in bay leaves.
You do not need to make elaborate sweetmeats or a showstopping dessert to wow your guests this Diwali.
This might be a little controversial, but I think my kheer is better than my mum's! 😉 Diwali can so easily turn into long lists and late nights in the kitchen, but it does not need to mean overextending yourself. Simple dishes, with a bit of a twist, can carry just as much care and joy.
This kheer is a little different to many other recipes. The rice is soaked, dried and coarsely ground, then cooked low and slow in milk infused with cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and a plump vanilla bean, until it forms a thick, luxurious pudding. Use whatever aromatics you have, but this combination makes for a deeply flavourful kheer. It does require some patience, but I promise it is worth it!
To finish, I stir through some whipping cream, but the real secret is the double thick cream, which gives it extra body and creaminess. You could stop there, but I like to balance rich, sweet desserts with something fresh, so some gently cooked apples, fried in butter and bay leaves, get spooned over for a bit of bite and brightness.
The base of this recipe started out as the basmati kheer from Dishoom, which I have since tweaked to make my own.
I hope you enjoy 🙂
The recipe
Basmati Kheer with Cinnamon Apples
Serves 6Prep 1 hrCook 1 hrTotal 2 hr
adventureswithsugar.com/basmati-kheer-with-cinnamon-apples/
Method
Method: basmati kheer
- Soak and dry the rice: Soak the basmati rice overnight, fully submerging it in water. The next day, drain well and dry it in a warm oven at 100˚ Celsius for about 30 minutes.
- Grind the rice: Coarsely grind the rice, making sure not to turn it into a powder.
- Infuse the milk: Roughly crush the cardamom pods, split the vanilla bean in two and scrape out the seeds. Add this, the bay leaves and the cinnamon to the milk and bring everything to a boil. Then turn the heat down and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from catching at the bottom of the pan.
- Cook the rice: Add in the rice and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the sugar: Remove the cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla bean, add in the sugar and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Stir in the creams: Take off the heat and stir in both creams.
- Serve: Serve with the fried apples and crushed pistachios.
Method: cinnamon apples
- Slice the apples: Peel and core the apples and cut them into slices. You can do them as thin or as thick as you like.
- Season the apples: Toss the apples in lemon juice with a pinch of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Fry the bay leaves: Add the butter to a medium pan and melt before adding in the bay leaves. Fry for a minute.
- Cook the apples: Add in the apples to the pan along with the sugar and cook on medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes, until the apples have softened but retain some bite, and the sugar has melted and caramelised.
- Taste and adjust: Taste the apples, depending on their natural flavour, you may want to add a bit more sugar or a squeeze of lemon juice to balance out the flavours. The kheer is naturally sweet and creamy so you want a bit of tartness to balance the overall dessert.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment