Indian
Gluten freeSama ke chawal ki kheer
Barnyard millet milk pudding
सामा के चावल की खीर: tiny barnyard millet grains simmered in milk until they burst and thicken it, finished with ghee-fried cashews and raisins
Sama, also called samak or vrat ke chawal, is barnyard millet, a tiny grain that North Indian families treat as rice on fast days because it isn't a true cereal for the purposes of the vrat. Cooked slowly in milk, the grains swell, burst and release their starch, so the kheer turns thick and creamy in about twenty minutes, much faster than rice kheer, with a mild, nutty flavour. Ghee-fried cashews and raisins add crunch and sweetness. It is made for Navratri, Ekadashi and Karva Chauth, and served warm after the evening puja or cold the next day. Sama sticks to the pan quickly, so use a heavy-based pan and keep stirring once the grains go in. Chef's tip: rinse the sama in several changes of water until it runs clear; the dusty starch on the grains makes the kheer gluey and slightly bitter.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 290 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz sama rice (barnyard millet)
- 1 tsp ghee
- 10 cashewshalved
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
Tick what you have; the rest goes in the basket.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ⅛ oz sama rice (barnyard millet) in several changes of water until it runs clear, then soak in fresh water for 15 minutes and drain.
15 minStep 3: Pour 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk into the same pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring.
Step 4: Add the drained sama and simmer on a low heat, stirring often and scraping the base, for 15–18 minutes until the grains are soft and burst and the kheer coats the back of a spoon. Common mistake: leaving it unstirred; sama settles and catches on the base within minutes.
18 minStep 5: Stir in 2 ⅛ oz sugar and ½ tsp ground green cardamom and cook for 2 minutes. Top with the cashews and raisins and serve warm or chilled; it thickens as it cools.
2 min
KrazyBadal
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Perfect for:Navratri & Durga Puja