Jugaad wali kheer

Last year when chef Sadaf Hussain was in town we bonded over dinner and stories about the origins of cuisines That night the dish that got our attention was a humble dessert called benami kheer with an exciting back story ldquoThe internet has several stories of its connections from three kitchens Awadh Mughal and Marwar The most popular is the one that originated in the royal court of Awadh This kheer is called benami because the ingredients were initially kept secret and benami in Urdu means lsquowithout a namersquo One of the royals in Awadh had asked his cook to prepare something unique for him Cooks in Awadh were considered smart and loved their art and a good challenge One of the artists created a dish where he made kheer with garlic and served it to the Nawab The preparation was similar to kheer except this one had no rice instead garlic cloves were used Since garlic has a peculiar flavour the Nawab could have rejected it if he was told what it was made from Thatrsquos why the chef must have called it benami to impress his sahabrdquoVirendra RawatThe real test in making this kheer is removing garlicrsquos pungency by blanching it in alum water and rendering it entirely odourless ldquoWhat most people on the internet will not tell you is about the taste of the kheer because perhaps they have never had itrdquo he laughs ldquoWhen you boil garlic in alum water enough times you get a texture similar to water chestnut but with a very mild and almost unnoticeable garlic flavour The dish always has khoya sugar and dry fruits like cashews to camouflage the taste In fact I find cashews as an excellent introduction to it because it looks like garlic and when cashew and garlic are cooked together they will look the same giving the illusion that you are having cashew kheer and not garlic kheerrdquo adds HussainOn a busy afternoon in his kitchen at Worli Chef Virendra Rawat founder Good Food Concept made two kheersmdashpumpkin and makhana and chikundar beetroot with tilgud The 44yearold carries with him the soul of Uttarakhand his tranquil hometown and when days get crazy he makes creations close to his heart ldquoAmidst the cityrsquos chaos I often find myself reflecting on the serene hills of my hometown and creating dishes to get close to my roots In the winter of 2018 on my familyrsquos farm near Tehri Lake we handpicked vibrant pumpkins blending them with the creamy richness of dairy sourced from our cows and the stage for a culinary masterpiece was setrdquo he saysSadaf HussainPumpkin emerges quite often in Ghadwali cuisine and kaddu ki kheer as it is fondly called is often prepared during Navratri as an offering to the goddess Makhana makes a frequent appearance too Jaggery makes cooking easier imparting the dish a dense earthy flavour ldquoThis pumpkin and makhana kheer with jaggery is a perfect blend of the earthy sweetness of pumpkin the nutty crunch of makhana and the natural sweetness of jaggery Itrsquos a comforting dessert that captures the essence of winter and the richness of Uttarakhandrsquos culinary heritagerdquo says Rawat The chikundar and tilgud recipe was born out of necessity during COVID19 when the chef was cooking for a family and two lone beetroot stared at him from the fridge Pairing it with til and gud sesame and jaggery was an idea from his hometown ldquoIn winter both these ingredients are a staple in the hills they keep the body warm The final dish served chilled was a testament to the unexpected joys of limited ingredients when treated with culinary ingenuityChikundar and tilgud kheerIngredients2 12 cups full milk112 tbsp ghee112 tbsp cashewsalmonds broken roughly1 cup chikundar beetroot grated12 cup jaggery powder14 teaspoon cardamom powder1 tbsp toasted white sesameMethodBoil milk simmer for a few minutes and set aside to cool Heat ghee in a pan fry the dry fruit and set aside Add beet and sauteacute in the same pan until the raw smell leaves the pan and is dry Add gud and let it melt completely Add boiled milk to it Let it simmer until thick and creamy it may take 1012 minutes in low flame Finally add fried cashews and cardamom powder mix well and switch off Add toasted til and mix well Serve warm or chilledBenami kheerIngredients125 ml white vinegar100 gm big Chinese garlic1 litre fullfat milkA few strands of saffron150 gm sugar5 green cardamoms powdered70 gm khoya100 gm cashew nuts halved soakedA few drops meetha ittar50 gm alumMethodLet peeled garlic pods sit in vinegar for 20 to 25 minutes then boil it in alum water at least three times and wash it with hot water Pour out the old water and add new water every time you boil it This will get rid of the vinegar and garlic taste Bring milk and cashew nuts to boil then slow boil for 10 minutes then turn down the heat to reduce the milk to 700ndash800 ml Add all of the boiled garlic pods followed by khoya and let the milk get as thick as you want it to be Put in the cardamom powder and sugar Keep cooking until everything is wellmixed Check the garlic to make sure itrsquos boiled all the way through Adjust the sweetness Put a few drops of meetha ittar on the plate Serve it cold with extra chopped pistachios and toasted cashewsPumpkin and makhana kheerIngredients1 cup grated pumpkin12 cup makhana1 litre fullfat milk12 cup jaggery12 teaspoon cardamom powderA pinch of saffron strandsChopped nuts for garnish almonds cashews pistachiosMethodPeel and grate the pumpkin and set it aside Dry roast the makhana until it becomes crisp cool and coarsely grind it in a mortar and pestle In a heavybottomed pan add the grated pumpkin and cook it on low heat until it softens Stir occasionally to prevent sticking In a separate pot bring the milk to a boil Reduce the heat and let it simmer until it thickens slightly Keep stirring to avoid the milk sticking to the bottom of the pot Add the cooked pumpkin to the simmering milk Mix well and cook for 1015 minutes until the pumpkin is thoroughly cooked and the flavours meld Add the jaggery and stir well until it dissolves Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes Add cardamom powder and saffron strands for a delightful aroma and flavour Stir well Add the crushed makhana to the kheer Mix gently allowing the makhana to absorb the flavours Simmer for an additional 57 minutes Turn off the heat and garnish the kheer with chopped nuts of your choice Allow it to cool slightly before serving Serve warm or chilledThis winter delicacy from North India was first sampled by Rahul Desai Corporate Chef Blah and The Thane Club when he was a kid ldquoMy mother loved to cook seasonal and to experiment with different ingredients and recipes She came across this unique recipe in a magazine and made it It had a ricelike bite to it and we couldnrsquot tell it had peas For a culinarycurious child it was my first lesson in understanding that one can make delicious recipes with nonconventional ingredientsrdquoMatar ki kheerIngredients1 litre milk12 cup fresh green peas1 tbsp gheeA few saffron strands soaked in milk14 cup chopped dry fruits12 cup sugar12 tsp cardamom powderRahul DesaiMethodBoil green peas and blend them into a smooth paste In a heavybottomed pan bring the milk to a boil and simmer on low heat stirring frequentlyAdd the blended green pea paste to the simmering milk Mix wellContinue cooking on low heat allowing the mixture to thicken Stir regularlyAdd sugar as per your taste once the mixture has reduced and thickenedAdd cardamom powder and saffron strands for flavour Heat ghee in a separate pan fry the chopped nuts until golden brown and add these to the kheer Reserve some for garnishing Allow the matar ki kheer to cool to room temperature before refrigeratingServe chilled garnished with the reserved fried nutsChef Raghvendra Singh of Meetha By Radisson learnt of gobhi ki kheer at a friendrsquos home in Gwalior Madhya Pradesh Initially he was sceptical about tasting it but when his friend insisted he took a spoonful and loved it so much that he went straight to the kitchen to see how it had been made ldquoThis veggie kheer has a rabrilike consistency and is a great alternative to rice kheer especially in winters when cauliflower is in season Itrsquos hard to tell the difference between this and rice kheerrdquo he addsGobhi ki kheerIngredients1 litre buffalo milk100 gm cauliflower 50 gm sugar20 gm pista20 gm almondA few strands of saffron5 gm cardamom powderRaghvendra SinghMethodBoil milk on low flame till it turns thick Clean finely chopped cauliflower in hot water drain add to the milk and let it cook for 10 minutes Once this mixture turns thick add sugar and elaichi to it Let it cool then garnish it with pasta and almond flakes And your delicious cauliflower kheer is ready to serve