Indian
Gluten freeDoodh pauva
Chilled saffron milk with flattened rice
દૂધ પૌંઆ: chilled saffron milk with thin poha, set in the moonlight on Sharad Poonam
Sharad Poonam, the brightest full moon of the year, ends the Navratri season in Gujarat; families sing garba late into the night and leave a bowl of doodh pauva out under the moon, believing its rays make it healing, before eating it cold together. It is thin poha soaked in reduced, sweetened milk with cardamom, saffron and nuts, cooling, soft and lightly creamy, the Gujarati cousin of Maharashtra's Kojagiri masala doodh. Common mistake: adding poha to hot milk or too early, so it turns to porridge; chill the milk first and stir the poha in only 10–15 minutes before eating, when the flakes are soft but still separate. Chef's tip: simmer the milk down by a quarter before chilling; a little reduction gives body without needing cream.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 280 kcal
Ingredients
For the doodh pauva
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- 2 ⅛ oz thin poha (flattened rice)
- ½ oz almondsslivered
- ½ oz pistachiosslivered
- 1 tbsp charoli (chironji) seeds (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Search Amazon for the rest
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in a heavy pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the base, until reduced by about a quarter.
15 minStep 2: Stir in 2 ½ oz sugar, 1 pinch saffron strands and ½ tsp ground green cardamom, simmer 2 minutes, then cool and chill for at least 2 hours.
3 minStep 3: Rinse 2 ⅛ oz thin poha (flattened rice) in a sieve for a few seconds and drain.
1 minStep 4: Ten to fifteen minutes before serving, stir the poha, ½ oz almonds, ½ oz pistachios and 1 tbsp charoli (chironji) seeds into the cold milk. Set it in the moonlight if you like, then serve chilled in bowls.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does doodh pauva take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Kaju curryCashew curry
Walk along any wedding buffet in Pune, Mumbai or Ahmedabad and there is usually a chafing dish of kaju curry near the paneer, with guests going back for seconds. Whole cashews are fried in ghee until golden, which makes them crunchy outside and buttery inside, then folded into a rich onion and tomato gravy thickened with more cashews, finished with cream and kasuri methi. The gravy is orange, smooth and rounded with a touch of sweetness; it should taste of roasted nuts and gentle spice, not fire. Gujarati restaurants often serve a spicier Kathiyawadi version, but the wedding style here is the mild one. Eat it with butter naan, tandoori roti or jeera rice. Common mistake: adding the fried cashews too early; they soak up the gravy and turn soft, so fold them in just before serving. Chef's tip: keep a few fried cashews back and scatter them on top at the table so every spoonful has some crunch.
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.