Tuesday 12 January 2016

Chironji Makhane Kheer With Mixed Nuts Chikki / Chiraunji Fox Nuts Milk Pudding With Nutty Caramel Discs ~ Celebrating Lohri


HAPPY LOHRI to all my readers,dear friends and everyone celebrating the festivities of Lohri. Today Lohri is being celebrated in India especially in Punjab with pomp and show. LOHRI is an Indian Festival celebrated to mark the end of winter, when people can come out of their homes and celebrate the harvesting of the Rabi (winter) crops and give in to relaxing and enjoying the traditional folk songs and dances, with sweets and festivities around a huge throbbing Bonfire.






This dessert Chironji Makhane Ki Kheer With Mixed Dry Fruit Chikki is apt for any festivities and celebrations because of its rich texture and lingering deliciousness long after you have savoured a bowlful. 

CHIRONJI MAKHANE KHEER WITH MIXED DRY FRUIT CHIKKI / CHIRAUNJI FOX NUTS MILK PUDDING WITH NUTTY CARAMEL DISCS RECIPE ~

AUTHOR : PIYALI
SERVES : 4 ~ 6
CUISINE : INDIAN / PUNJABI
TYPE : DESSERT / SWEETS
TIME : 15 MINUTES PREPARATION + 45 MINUTES COOKING + OVERNIGHT SOAKING OF CHIRONJI

INGREDIENTS :

FOR THE NUTTY CARAMEL DISC / MIXED DRY FRUIT CHIKKI 
( MAKES 6 ~ 8 MEDIUM SIZED DISCS )

1) 250 Gms / 1 Cup Sugar

2) 250 Gms / 1 Cup Chopped Pistachios, Broken Cashew Nuts, Almond Slivers, Khus Kus/Poppy Seeds , Rose Petals (Optional). (You may add any nuts of your choice)

3) 1 Tsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter to grease the plate. (Not required if you are using a silicon sheet )

FOR THE CHIROJI MAKHANE/FOX NUT KHEER/MILK PUDDING

1) 2 Ltrs Full Cream Milk

2) 100 Gms Chironji/Chiroli/Chiraunji (Available in Indian stores )

3) 200 Gms ( 1 Cup approximately) Fox Nuts / Lotus seeds / Makhane ( Available in Indian Stores )

4) 1/2 Cup / 100 Gms approximately Sugar

5) 1 Tsp Green Cardamom powder

6) 1 Tbsp Ghee / clarified butter

FOR GARNISHING :

1) 1 Tbsp chopped Pistachios

2) A few strands of Saffron

3) Rose Petals (optional)

PICTORIAL STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE :

FOR THE NUTTY CARAMEL DISC / MIXED DRY FRUIT CHIKKI / BRITTLE

1) In a pan take sugar. On the highest flame let the sugar melt / caramelise completely. Once the sugar starts to melt / caramelize reduce the flame to stop over caramelising. Over Caramelizing will make your discs /Brittles taste bitter.

While the sugar is caramelizing grease a plate with totally with clarified butter. Skip this step if you are using a silicon sheet.

Add all the nuts and poppy seeds to the caramelized sugar and give everything a nice stir once or twice.


2)Pour the caramelized nuts and poppy seeds onto the greased plate or the silicon sheet. Tap the plate gently and let the caramelized nuts spread evenly on the plate. Similarly tap and gently move the tray in which you have placed the silicon sheet up and down to get the caramelized nuts and poppy seeds to spread evenly.

While it is still hot place round medium sized cookie cutters on the spread caramelized nuts on the plate or silicon sheets to create circular marks on them. Press the cookie cutters down firmly so that the imprints on the caramelized nutty sheet is deep. This will help you easily take your discs out from the caramelized nutty sheets once they cool and become hard. 
TIP : If you do not have cookie cutters, use your steel medium sized bowls to leave the imprint on the caramelised nutty sheet.


Allow the brittle / nutty caramalised sheet to cool completely. Do not refrigerate. Once completely cooled the discs come out easily. You can use the remaining brittle too. Just much away or top up your ice-creams, puddings etc. for heightened taste.


FOR THE CHIROJI MAKHANE/FOX NUT KHEER/MILK PUDDING

1) Soak the Chironji Seeds covered with water overnight. In the morning drain the water. Remove the skin of the chironji. When soaked overnight, the skin comes off easily with a gentle rub of your finger. Try to remove as much skin as possible. Keep the skinned chironji ready to use.


2) In a deep bottom pan, preferably a non-stick pan pour the entire milk. Bring the milk to a boil and then simmer on the lowest flame. Keep stirring and scraping off the thickened milk from the sides intermittently to give the milk a rich creamy consistency.  

Once the milk is reduced to half of its original quantity, add in the skinned chironji seeds into the milk and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. 


3) In a pan add ghee followed by Makhane / fox nuts. Fry the Fox Nuts / Lotus Seeds in the ghee till crunchy. 
TIP : Fry on low flame and keep using your spatula constantly to move the fox nuts in the pan to avoid burning and ensuring that each one is fried and crisped totally. Use a large pan to expose each fox nut to the heat of the pan without crowding on one another.

Once crisp, cool and then grind the Fox Nuts to a coarse powder.


4) Add the coarsely powdered Fox Nuts into the milk. Stir well.

Now add Sugar and mix nicely. 

Finally add the powdered Green Cardamom Powder to the milk and stir thoroughly. Let the milk continue to simmer for 5 ~ 10  more minutes. Once the Makhane swells and the milk further thickens your Chironji Makhane Kheer Is ready. 

Remove from the flame and serve hot or chilled after garnishing with pistachios, safrron strands, rose petals. Place the Nutty caramalised disc on top of the kheer in individual bowls. Before eating give a light tap on the caramel disc with your spoon so that it breaks into pieces. Savouring a spoonful of this rich delicious Kheer with the sugary crunch from the nutty caramel bites is a delight beyond words.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHIRONJI MAKHANE KHEER WITH MIXED DRY FRUIT CHIKKI / CHIRAUNJI FOX NUTS MILK PUDDING WITH NUTTY CARAMEL DISCS RECIPE ~


CHIRONJI MAKHANE KHEER WITH MIXED DRY FRUIT CHIKKI / CHIRAUNJI FOX NUTS MILK PUDDING WITH NUTTY CARAMEL DISCS RECIPE ~

AUTHOR : PIYALI
SERVES : 4 ~ 6
CUISINE : INDIAN / PUNJABI
TYPE : DESSERT / SWEETS
TIME : 15 MINUTES PREPARATION + 45 MINUTES COOKING + OVERNIGHT SOAKING OF CHIRONJI

INGREDIENTS :

FOR THE NUTTY CARAMEL DISC / MIXED DRY FRUIT CHIKKI 
( MAKES 6 ~ 8 MEDIUM SIZED DISCS )

1) 250 Gms / 1 Cup Sugar

2) 250 Gms / 1 Cup Chopped Pistachios, Broken Cashew Nuts, Almond Slivers, Khus Kus/Poppy Seeds , Rose Petals (Optional). (You may add any nuts of your choice)

3) 1 Tsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter to grease the plate. (Not required if you are using a silicon sheet )

FOR THE CHIROJI MAKHANE/FOX NUT KHEER/MILK PUDDING

1) 2 Ltrs Full Cream Milk

2) 100 Gms Chironji/Chiroli/Chiraunji (Available in Indian stores )

3) 200 Gms ( 1 Cup approximately) Fox Nuts / Lotus seeds / Makhane ( Available in Indian Stores )

4) 1/2 Cup / 100 Gms approximately Sugar

5) 1 Tsp Green Cardamom powder

6) 1 Tbsp Ghee / clarified butter

FOR GARNISHING :

1) 1 Tbsp chopped Pistachios

2) A few strands of Saffron

3) Rose Petals (optional)

PICTORIAL STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE :

FOR THE NUTTY CARAMEL DISC / MIXED DRY FRUIT CHIKKI / BRITTLE

1) In a pan take sugar. On the highest flame let the sugar melt / caramelise completely. Once the sugar starts to melt / caramelize reduce the flame to stop over caramelising. Over Caramelizing will make your discs /Brittles taste bitter.

While the sugar is caramelizing grease a plate with totally with clarified butter. Skip this step if you are using a silicon sheet.

Add all the nuts and poppy seeds to the caramelized sugar and give everything a nice stir once or twice.

2)Pour the caramelized nuts and poppy seeds onto the greased plate or the silicon sheet. Tap the plate gently and let the caramelized nuts spread evenly on the plate. Similarly tap and gently move the tray in which you have placed the silicon sheet up and down to get the caramelized nuts and poppy seeds to spread evenly.

While it is still hot place round medium sized cookie cutters on the spread caramelized nuts on the plate or silicon sheets to create circular marks on them. Press the cookie cutters down firmly so that the imprints on the caramelized nutty sheet is deep. This will help you easily take your discs out from the caramelized nutty sheets once they cool and become hard. 
TIP : If you do not have cookie cutters, use your steel medium sized bowls to leave the imprint on the caramelised nutty sheet.


Allow the brittle / nutty caramalised sheet to cool completely. Do not refrigerate. Once completely cooled the discs come out easily. You can use the remaining brittle too. Just much away or top up your ice-creams, puddings etc. for heightened taste.

FOR THE CHIROJI MAKHANE/FOX NUT KHEER/MILK PUDDING

1) Soak the Chironji Seeds covered with water overnight. In the morning drain the water. Remove the skin of the chironji. When soaked overnight, the skin comes off easily with a gentle rub of your finger. Try to remove as much skin as possible. Keep the skinned chironji ready to use.

2) In a deep bottom pan, preferably a non-stick pan pour the entire milk. Bring the milk to a boil and then simmer on the lowest flame. Keep stirring and scraping off the thickened milk from the sides intermittently to give the milk a rich creamy consistency.  

Once the milk is reduced to half of its original quantity, add in the skinned chironji seeds into the milk and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

3) In a pan add ghee followed by Makhane / fox nuts. Fry the Fox Nuts / Lotus Seeds in the ghee till crunchy. 
TIP : Fry on low flame and keep using your spatula constantly to move the fox nuts in the pan to avoid burning and ensuring that each one is fried and crisped totally. Use a large pan to expose each fox nut to the heat of the pan without crowding on one another.

Once crisp, cool and then grind the Fox Nuts to a coarse powder.

4) Add the coarsely powdered Fox Nuts into the milk. Stir well.

Now add Sugar and mix nicely. 

Finally add the powdered Green Cardamom Powder to the milk and stir thoroughly. Let the milk continue to simmer for 5 ~ 10  more minutes. Once the Makhane swells and the milk further thickens your Chironji Makhane Kheer Is ready. 

Remove from the flame and serve hot or chilled after garnishing with pistachios, safrron strands, rose petals. Place the Nutty caramalised disc on top of the kheer in individual bowls. Before eating give a light tap on the caramel disc with your spoon so that it breaks into pieces. Savouring a spoonful of this rich delicious Kheer with the sugary crunch from the nutty caramel bites is a delight beyond words.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Recipes adapted from ~









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