Gil-e-Firdaus
Veg
A uniquely Hyderabadi milk dessert — tender bottle gourd (lauki) shreds cooked down in full-fat milk with sugar, khoya, and cardamom until the gourd dissolves into the thickened milk, then garnished with chopped pistachios and almonds. The name means 'clay of paradise'; its delicate, milky sweetness and subtle gourd flavour are unlike any other Indian kheer or halwa.
Cuisines
Hyderabadi
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 70 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1/4 cup | basmati rice |
| 1/4 cup | sago (sabudana) |
| 1 liter | full-fat milk |
| 1/4 cup | sugar |
| 2 tablespoons | ghee |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 2 tablespoons | chopped cashew nuts |
| 2 tablespoons | chopped almonds |
| 2 tablespoons | raisins |
| — | saffron strands (a pinch) |
| — | rose water (a few drops) |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the basmati rice and sago separately for 30 minutes.
- 2 In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil.
- 3 Add the soaked rice and sago to the boiling milk and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and the mixture thickens.
- 4 In a separate pan, heat ghee and fry the cashew nuts, almonds, and raisins until golden brown. Set aside.
- 5 Once the rice and sago are cooked, add sugar and cardamom powder to the milk mixture and stir well.
- 6 Add the fried nuts and raisins to the mixture, reserving a few for garnish.
- 7 Soak the saffron strands in a tablespoon of warm milk and add to the mixture.
- 8 Add a few drops of rose water and mix well.
- 9 Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the desired consistency is reached.
- 10 Garnish with reserved nuts and serve warm or chilled.
Tips
For a richer flavor, you can add a tablespoon of condensed milk.