I have never gone this long without posting. The reasons were quite obvious: My blogger migration and the Diwali time off. As per Indian tradition any milestone accomplished in life calls for a sweet. So I bring you Kheer and malpuas which I made on the eve of Diwali.
Update year 2023 -> If you want to watch videos for today’s recipe I have uploaded them separately on my YouTube channel.
For Kheer, you can check my video “How to make Parfait with mango and rice pudding”
For Malpuas click “Festive Indian Pancakes (Gluten-free)“
Few weeks ago I expressed my desire to switch to a self-hosted word press blog and asked for your opinion. Purchasing a domain and selecting a web hosting service was not that big of a problem as was the migration process.
There is a phrase, Doodh ka jala chach bhi phoonk phoonk kar pita hai…, which means Once bitten twice shy. I did not want to make any technical glitches when I was already experiencing image related problems with blogger after joining Google+. I asked all my friends if anyone knew someone who could help me. I am fortunate to be surrounded by good friends who are always ready to do favors. One of my friends introduced me to her son’s friend on phone who assured me to help what I was asking for. Although, somewhere in my heart I had a fear, as we only spoke on the phone or exchanged emails, I knew I could trust him. He completed the task in time. There are certain minor things that need to be fixed which I will do it slowly. But I am grateful to this young boy for his timely help and a wonderful job done.
Kheer is basically Indian version of rice pudding made by slow cooking rice in milk, till it acquires a thick creamy consistency. It is sweetened with sugar or Jaggery and flavored with ingredients like cardamom powder, saffron and rose water. In northern India, particularly in country side of Punjab, kheer is mainly made with starchy rice and milk, without any garnishing. The starch make the milk creamy and smooth, resulting a delicious decadent rich pudding. I have also given you the process of using condensed milk for kheer, which speed up the things without compromising the sublimely creamy texture. You can enjoy kheer cold or warm depending on how the weather is in your side of the woods. It’s an exquisite desert in itself, however on special occasions or during monsoon kheer is best enjoyed with malpuas. And malpuas must always be eaten with kheer. The wholesome combination is heavenly and you will be overwhelmed with a wonderful feeling of satiation.
Being lived in almost every part of India, I have tasted banana, pineapple and potato malpuas but trust me the original malpuas with no such fancy ingredient taste the best. Malpuas are originally made with all-purpose flour and semolina but this is my first time making them gluten free. In fact I took a big risk of trying them on Diwali for a group of friends. They came out really nice although not as soft or melt in a mouth texture as the regular all-purpose flour) malpuas are. No one cared what I was thinking as a food blogger but they enjoyed the soft chewy gluten free malpuas (slightly crispy on the edges) with lip smacking kheer.
Quick Notes for making kheer and malpuas:
- Cook kheer on medium low heat till it reaches the desired consistency. It continues to thicken a bit while cooling, therefore don’t make it too thick while cooking.
- Sugar syrup for malpuas is of one thread consistency. To check this, dip a wooden spoon in the syrup. Allow to cool for a few seconds then bravely touch it with a clean forefinger (it will still be hot) and then touch your thumb and forefinger together and pull them apart gently. If a single thread forms between the fingers then the syrup is ready.
- Keep the sugar syrup warm when puas are dipped for easy absorption. Dip them only for a minute to avoid sogginess. If you don’t want to dip them in sugar syrup you can skip this step and eat them as is with kheer.
- You can make malpuas ahead of time and keep them warm in oven. (They became crisp in two hours, next time will cover with foil)
- To blanch almonds soak them for 2-4 hours or overnight in enough water. This helps to soften and remove brown skin easily. The fast method of blanching is to immerse in boiling water or microwave for 40 seconds.
KHEER AND MALPUA
Serves 10
Ingredients for Kheer with milk:
1 cup rice
2 cups water
2 liter full fat milk
60 g blanched almonds
1 tsp powdered cardamom
40 g raisins
15 g pistachios
3/4 cup sugar
Kheer with condensed milk
7 cups water
1 tin condensed milk
2 cups 2% hot milk
Ingredients for malpuas:
300 g (2 cup) Gluten free all-purpose flour
45 g (1/2 cup) almond meal
2/3 cup yogurt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup (+) water
canola oil for frying
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 cup sugar
Ingredients for sugar syrup:
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
few strands saffron
Method:
To make malpua batter, combine Gf all purpose flour (rice flour mix) , almond flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add yogurt and water to make a thick batter. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 2 hrs.
Wash the rice well with water a few times.
Place in a thick bottomed saucepan with the water and bring the water to a boil on a high flame, then immediately reduce to a medium-low and cook until the rice is tender and soft.
Once the rice is tender, add in the milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
Keep stirring occasionally to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom or scorches it.
Continue cooking until kheer has thickened up, about 40-45 minutes, add sugar. Mix well and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Soak raisins for 5 minutes in water to help them puff up
Add powdered cardamom, raisins and sliced almonds in kheer.
Making kheer with sweetened condensed milk
In a medium size deep saucepan add in rinsed rice with water. Set the pan on high heat and bring it to boil, once the water starts boiling reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan and cook rice for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile mix condensed milk with hot milk.
When the rice is soft and there is about a cup of water left add the condensed milk mixture. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes or till the kheer reaches the desired consistency. It continues to thicken a bit while cooling, therefore don’t make it too thick while cooking. Remove the saucepan of kheer from heat.
To make sugar syrup for Malpuas , add water, sugar, fennel seeds, and saffron in a saucepan and place on heat. Boil gently for about 3-4 minutes. (Check quick notes for the right consistency) Turn off the heat.
Stir the pua batter. Add sugar and fennel seeds. Whip thoroughly. It should be of pouring consistency. Add a tbsp of water if it seems thick.
Heat oil in a flat bottomed shallow pan. Pour approx. 1/4 cup batter into the oil in a round shape. Fry on both sides till the pua is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and dip it in warm sugar syrup.
Remove the malpua from the syrup before dipping the next one.
Transfer prepared kheer to a serving bowl. Garnish with some more sliced almonds. Serve with warm malpuas.
Soni
Yeah my friend, great minds do think alike :)I love Malpua’s , so soft yummy fluffy!!And your kheer looks awesome too :)I know migration is painful, but worth it at the end 🙂
cooking varieties
hi balvinder. congrats on your new blog- good thing you managed well.
i am very sceptical about joining googles+1 and have never responded to such requests… i just freaked out at the thought that my pics can be shared by just about anyone- dont know exactly what that means, but i wont take my chances and clkick ok etc… thank you for sharing your experience.
great recipe and your pics look much better than before-probably the size.. worth the switch. have a nice day
Balvinder
Even I don’t respond to most of the friendship requests, I joined goggle+ only because it was a much easier platform to connect with fellow bloggers.
Marina@Picnic at Marina
Hi Balvinder, oh yes, migration from one domain to another can be quite painful, and I lost some people when they moved their blogs. Glad you came to my blog to let me know, thanks! 🙂
Balvinder
How can I forget my old friends!
yummychunklet
That looks delicious! And so sweet!
Balvinder
You mean deliciously sweet or sugary sweet?
Treat and Trick
Love your new home and wonderful desserts you’d shared! I also thought about blog migration but not sure how to get it done…
Balvinder
There is lot of information available on internet and also books in library on this topic. But the best way is to take help from someone who know the technical stuff.
Nava Krishnan
Excellent job by the person who worked on your blog and its really impressive. Glad everything went on fine with any hiccups. The kheer is so tempting and thats a brillant dessert I can’t stop admiring. I will make the next time I have guests over and I am sure my friends from other ethnic group will love an Indian dessert.
Balvinder
Thank you Nava,
Indeed my young friend did an impressive work by helping me.
Blackswan
Congrats on your new site & the hard work! I’m sure it’s all well worth the effort. Did u have fun on your Diwali holuday? These treats are yummy!
Balvinder
Thank you Shirley, we had great time on Diwali.
Blackswan
I’m back, dear! I’ve subscribed again to your awesome blog 🙂
Liz
Yikes…now I’m even more nervous about moving my blog…you may get a panicked email from me asking for help 🙂 Your pancakes and pudding look like perfect treats for your celebration!!!
Balvinder
You email is welcome Lizzy! I am not sure if everybody experience some problems with migrating.
Yes, this desert was a perfect celebration of my migration and Diwali.
Choc Chip Uru
Your new blog looks incredible my friend and it is wonderful to have you up and running again!
What a delicious recipe to start with!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Kitchen Belleicious
i love the new site look ! Clean and fun! This dish sounds incredible and somewhat easy too. Hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving!
Balvinder
That’s right kheer with condensed milk is really easy to make, and the fried pancakes are the best thing to eat with it.
Divya Prakash
Congrats on your new space.. Love the desserts..
Earlier today, was wondering no info about your new space and how do I connect with you and all that.. Glad you stopped by my space.. Now have subscribed by email.. 🙂
Vicki Bensinger
The first thing I noticed was your new site. It looks great. I’ve been toying for months about switching over to WordPress and am even talking with someone right now about making the change. I’m not sure what I will do yet. I’m terrified I will lose content and other things I”ve worked hard to build and create over the years.
As for this dish it sounds similar to a rice pudding – so delicious with the condensed milk. The patties sound very tasty too! I’d love to try making it. I might just start off with the rice dish and go from there. Thanks for sharing this unique recipe.
Balvinder
I can understand your fear and its true things happen which you don’t even imagine.I did not loose any posts, comments or google rating. But I have lost some part of my posts which I need to rewrite. And I see that some of my links within blog shows error. Even after all this you will love working on a word press blog.
Jennifer Eloff
Congrats on the new blog. Thank you for sharing about Google + experience. Yikes! Fantastic desserts! I think you are right about the almond flour – it does not work well in all applications. That’s why I developed a Gluten-Free and low-carb bake mix.
anne
Bal ! Ackkkk ! So sorry ! It just slipped off my mind that you’re migrating to wordpress 😀 Love the new site ! Glad that your new site are up and running smoothly 🙂 ….. I bet you’d an enjoyable Diwali 🙂 Your kheer and malpuas look delicious ! I love the kheer most as it’s made with condensed milk 😀 Btw , I’ve already updated my blogroll and listed your new site 😀
Minnie@thelady8home
The kheer and the malpua looks incredible!!!! You are so right, original does taste the best!!! I also want to make them now :)) Hope you had a great diwali :))
Alida
As I have already said, your new look is professional, neat and very peaceful to the eye. You have certainly made the right decision!
Unfortunately I am still stuck with mine. It is just too technical to link the server I bought with my wordpress site. I have found it very frustrating and the people at Namesco (where I bought it) have not been very helpful at all.
Thanks god I have a friend looking into this now (god bless friends!) and she is moving me into a new server with a new company. Hope to be up and running soon!
Love this dessert. It looks divine!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies
I’m glad the switch to WordPress went well–your blog looks great! I remember switching from Blogger to self-hosted was a big transition for me, but I was so glad I made the move. Definitely a cause for celebration! Kheer is my husband’s favorite Indian dessert. 🙂
Asmita
I love the look of the new site. The malpuas and kheer look divine! My favorite!
Amelia
Hi Balvinder, I have not eaten these but it look like a delicious comfort food. The malpuas look yummy, very soft texture.
Thanks for sharing the recipes.
Have a fabulous weekend. Regards.
Deepa Raghuvanshi
Kheer and malpua are delght to eat. I lovethat you madeglutenfree malpuas, even though you said they were not great but they look great with crisp edges and chewy center. If you try them with another flour do post it.
Mridu
Your recipe ingredient for Malpua says All purpose flour whereas in the first step you mention rice flour… which one to use?
Balvinder
Hi Mridu, It is a gluten free all purpose flour. which is made with white or brown rice flour + tapioca flour and potato starch. I have linked the word to my gluten free pantry page. there you will find what gluten free all purpose flour mean.