Learn How To Make Heavenly Dates And Apple Kheer At Home

Cook rice in milk, then add saut ed dates and apples. Sweeten with sugar and flavor with cardamom and saffron. Garnish with fried nuts and serve warm or chilled.

To make Dates and Apple Kheer, cook soaked rice in boiling milk until soft. Saut chopped dates and apples separately in ghee, then add them to the cooked rice. Sweeten the mixture with sugar, and enhance flavor with cardamom and saffron. Garnish with fried cashew nuts, almonds, and raisins. Serve warm or chilled for a delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full-fat milk
• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup rice (preferably basmati)
• 1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• A pinch of saffron strands (optional)
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 10-12 cashew nuts
• 10-12 almonds, blanched and slivered
• 10-12 raisins

Instructions:

1. Preparation:

• Rinse the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for about 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, soak the saffron strands in a little warm milk (optional).

2. Cooking the Rice:

• Drain the soaked rice.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring the milk to a boil.
• Add the drained rice to the boiling milk and reduce the heat to low.
• Let it simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Cook until the rice is soft and the milk has thickened slightly (about 30-40 minutes).

3. Preparing the Dates and Apples:

• While the rice is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of ghee in a small pan over medium heat.
• Add the chopped dates and saut them for 2-3 minutes until they are soft.
• Remove the dates and set them aside.
• In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and saut the chopped apples until they are soft and slightly caramelized.

4. Combining Ingredients:

• Once the rice is cooked and the milk has thickened, add the saut ed dates and apples to the pot.
• Stir well to combine.

5. Sweetening and Flavoring:

• Add the sugar to the pot and stir until it dissolves completely.
• Add the cardamom powder and saffron milk (if using), and mix well.
• Let the kheer simmer on low heat for another 10-15 minutes, allowing all the flavors to blend.

6. Garnishing:

• In a small pan, heat a teaspoon of ghee and fry the cashew nuts, almonds, and raisins until golden brown.
• Add these fried nuts and raisins to the kheer, reserving a few for garnishing.

7. Serving:

• Turn off the heat and let the kheer cool slightly.
• Serve the Dates and Apple Kheer warm or chilled, garnished with the reserved nuts and a few saffron strands.

Tips:

• Adjust the sugar according to your taste and the sweetness of the dates.
• You can add other dried fruits like figs or apricots for variation.
• Stir the kheer occasionally to prevent it from sticking and ensure even cooking.
• The kheer tends to thicken as it cools. If it becomes too thick, you can add a little warm milk to achieve the desired consistency before serving.