Across the highlands · 80 min · Vegetarian · Dessert · For beginners
Jhangora Ki Kheer
In German: Suessspeise aus Himalaya-Hirse
For 4 servings · US units
Barnyard millet kheer, slowly simmered in milk and scented with cardamom
Jhangora Ki Kheer is a kheer made with barnyard millet instead of rice. The tiny grains cook gently in whole milk until everything turns soft and creamy, then pick up their flavour from cardamom, raisins and chopped almonds. Eat it warm straight from the pan or properly chilled; it works any time of year.
Ingredients
- 4⅔ ozJhangora (barnyard millet)rinsed, soaked in water for 30–60 minutes and drained
- 4¼ cupsMilkthe base in which the millet is cooked
- 3½ ozSugaradjust to taste; jaggery as an alternative
- ½ tspfor flavouring towards the endGreen seed pods of a plant in the ginger family, with a cool, floral, resinous aroma.Substitute: Ground cardamom can stand in for whole pods, about a quarter teaspoon for three to four pods, though it tastes flatter; no other spice matches the flavour, and smoky black cardamom is no substitute for green.Read more
- 1 ozRaisinscooked in or used as garnish
- ⅔ ozAlmondschopped, for garnish; cashews or other nuts also work
- 1 pinchadded together with the sugar (optional)Dried stigmas of a crocus that give dishes a golden colour and a bitter-floral aroma. Sold in small tins in the spice aisle of larger supermarkets, often cheaper and fresher in Turkish, Persian or Indian grocers.Substitute: There is no real substitute: turmeric or safflower give the colour but not the aroma, and turmeric adds an earthy taste of its own, so it should be used sparingly.Read more
Method
- Soak the milletRinse the millet well, soak it in water for 30 to 60 minutes, then drain it thoroughly.
- Bring the milk to the boilBring the whole milk to the boil in a large pan. Give yourself plenty of room so the milk doesn't boil over later on.
- Stir in the milletSprinkle the drained millet into the boiling milk, stirring all the time so no lumps form. If you'd like the raisins cooked in, add them now.
- Simmer until creamyTurn the heat down to low–medium and let the kheer simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir often, until the grains are tender and the mixture has turned nice and creamy.
- Sweeten and add the spiceStir in the sugar and ground cardamom, along with the pinch of saffron threads if you're using it. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes more, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Serve warm or chilledTake the pan off the heat. Serve the kheer warm right away, or let it cool and then chill it in the fridge.
- Garnish with the nutsJust before serving, scatter over the chopped almonds and the raisins, unless they went into the pan earlier.
Tips and variations
You can swap the sugar for jaggery. You'll need quite a lot more of it, around 330 g for the litre of milk in this recipe, and it only goes into the pan after 30 minutes of cooking; after that, let the kheer simmer for another 20 minutes. Cinnamon instead of cardamom gives it a warmer note, and a pinch of saffron makes it a little more delicate. Some cooks boil the sugar with the milk right at the start, before the millet goes in. If you're short on time, the millet can go straight into the milk without soaking. Cashews or other nuts are just as good as almonds. For serving, spoon the kheer into small clay pots and chill them for an hour; they look lovely and the kheer is wonderfully refreshing cold.
Allergens
Contains: Milk (including lactose), Tree nuts, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
