Himachali Seetaphal Kheer
Veg
Custard apple (seetaphal/sharifa) pulp folded into lightly sweetened, reduced milk — a seasonal Himachali autumn dessert made when custard apples ripen in the lower valleys. The flesh's natural sweetness and custardy texture dissolve into the milk, requiring almost no additional sugar.
Cuisines
Himachali
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 60 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | pumpkin (seetaphal), peeled and grated |
| 1 liter | full cream milk |
| 1/4 cup | basmati rice |
| 1/2 cup | sugar |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 10-12 | cashew nuts |
| 10-12 | almonds |
| 10-12 | raisins |
| 1 tablespoon | ghee |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes.
- 2 In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil.
- 3 Add the soaked rice to the boiling milk and reduce the heat to low.
- 4 Cook the rice in the milk, stirring occasionally, until the rice is soft and the milk thickens.
- 5 In a separate pan, heat ghee and fry the cashew nuts, almonds, and raisins until golden. Set aside.
- 6 Add the grated pumpkin to the rice and milk mixture and cook until the pumpkin is soft and well incorporated.
- 7 Stir in the sugar and cardamom powder, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
- 8 Add the fried nuts and raisins to the kheer and mix well.
- 9 Serve warm or chilled, garnished with additional nuts if desired.
Tips
For a richer flavor, you can use a mix of milk and condensed milk. Adjust the sugar accordingly.