I have always loved roses… and as a kid I would eat the rose petals and tulsi leaves (holy basil) walking in my parents garden. Every year in summer my mother would make Gulkand (rose petal preserve) and we brothers and sisters would delightfully eat it with a glass of milk. After reminiscing my childhood memory and my confusion with sweet potatoes (read below) I decided to make this truly delicious dessert. My Hindu Friends make this during their fasting period but it can be enjoyed on any time of the year.
Update: May 2021
You can watch the video of sweet potato kheer here.
So, coming to the sweet potato confusion.
A couple of days ago my daughter asked me to bring sweet potatoes to make gnocchi. I bought sweet potato and yam thinking to make yam chaat for myself. I gave her the bag and went to work in the garden while she was in the kitchen. After sometime when I came inside I saw her rolling orange colored dough.
I asked, why wasn’t she using sweet potatoes.
She pointed to the dough and said, “this is a sweet potato dough”
“Why is it orange“?
“Because I used orange fleshed sweet potato”.
“What” ? What do you mean orange fleshed?”
“Mom I will tell you later, Let me finish this first”
And when she explained me later, I got confused. I always thought (after coming to Canada) that the yellowish white ones were sweet potato and the orange ones were yam, because that’s how they sell in the market. (In India we only get white colored one which we call “Shakarkandi“, never bothered about its English name).
I did some Google search. Here are some interesting facts which I learned.
Sweet potato is not related to Potato or actual Yam. Sweet potato is a root crop, and potato and yams are tuber crops.
Yams are scaly skinned and have a dry mouth kind of feel with a starchy taste where as sweet potatoes are moist fleshed and tastes sweet.
Unlike sweet potatoes, yams must be cooked properly to destroy compounds that can make us ill if ingested.
To get a more clear picture of yam and sweet potato, watch this video.
The chaat which I made a while ago was not yam but (orange fleshed) sweet potato, though I bought it as ‘Yam’. I have updated my post and apologize for using a misnomer.
So, now that I had white sweet potatoes staring at me from the counter I decided to make rose scented kheer out of them. This is a celebratory dessert, yet light and decadent as an everyday treat. The touch of rose flavor and cardamom really makes this kheer stand out. Once you taste this you’ll likely find yourself making it again and again.
Rose Scented Sweet Potato Kheer
Ingredients:
4 (500 g) sweet potato
5 cups milk [ I used 2 % (reduced fat)]
1/4 cup (+) unrefined sugar
1 tsp rose syrup or rose water
Rose petals from 1 rose + extra for garnish
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
2 tbsp desi ghee
Method:
Peel and grate sweet potatoes.
Take desi ghee in a nonstick or heavy bottomed steel pan. Heat it on medium.
Add grated sweet potato. Fry sweet potato stirring for a minute or so.
Add milk and bring it to boil. Put the heat to medium and let it simmer. Stir occasionally.
When milk starts to thicken add sugar, rose petals and cardamom powder.
Continue cooking until it reaches the perfect consistency (takes about 30 minutes in total). It will thicken more when it cools down.
When it cools down, add rose syrup /rose water.
Refrigerate, for 2 hours before serving.
Garnish with some rose petals.
Note:
Dried rose petals and rose syrup can be bought from Persian, Indian and Specialty food stores.
All roses are edible but make sure they are pesticide free. Its best to harvest your own if you want to use fresh rose petals.
I came across this wonderful blog thru Food buzz , that is all about spices and herbs. If you are thinking to use rose or other flowers in your cooking as a spice and need some answers for your questions Check on this link here.
Source:
Gayathri NG
Sounda interesting n looks mouthwatering…
Torviewtoronto
flavourful delicious looking dessert
mjskit
I didn’t know about the compound in yams that can make us ill. Thanks for sharing that! What a delicious dish! I don’t believe I have ever had Kheer but this looks like a great place to start.
DivyaGCP
Thanks for sharing info abt yam & sweet potatoes..
Interesting dessert!!
Divya’s Culinary Journey
Showcase- Whats in your Lunch Box?
Lets Party-Breakfast
Poonam Borkar
looks delicious!!
Spicy-Aroma
Choc Chip Uru
This is such a delicious and exotic version of a kheer – the fact that it reflects your childhood loves must make it all the more special 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Tisa Jacob
This is so unique. I’ve never thought of trying sweet potatoes in kheer. Nicely thought out and informational post, and the kheer looks deliciously tempting :))
anne
I love roses but haven’t tried munching its petals ! 😀 Sweet potato and potato is not related ?! I thought it is ! hahaha Thanks for sharing that 😉 I love your sweet dessert , it looks very refreshing ! Yum !
mireia badia
Great to know, the recipe looks good too!!
Suzi
This looks lovely. I have never had rose petals or rose syrup, where do you find those?
Thanks for sharing the info on yams, I didn’t know that either. I bet this dessert tastes delicious. Have a great day.
Balvinder Ubi
Suzi, You can get it from Indian,Persian or specialty food store.
Blackswan
Hey, thks so sharing the info. We Chinese use a lot of sweet potatoes & yeams for desserts too. Love the additional of rose petals!
Navaneetham Krishnan
Roses are my fav too and I grow them in my garden. I have never made use of the roses except for prayers. I am trilled to find out that roses are great for desserts from your recipe. Lovely and looks so delicious.
Asmita
Hi Balvinder,
That’s very interesting to learn the difference between a sweet potato and yam. I can only imagine this kheer must taste divine! I love the rose syrup and cardamom powder in this. This reminds me of phirni a little bit but of course made here with sweet potato. Delicious! Lovely photographs too!
Balvinder Ubi
The blend of petals, rose syrup and cardamom powder was delish. You can not compare the taste of this kheer with any other. Must try.
Tina (PinayInTexas)
Very informative post and very gorgeous dessert, Balvinder!
Honey
looks lovely. i didn’t know you can make kheer with sweet potatoes. what a wonderful idea. love the touch of rose petals, in the past i’ve used rose water.
love the martini glasses. 🙂
Balvinder Ubi
Just few days ago I did not know either.
Baker Street
I never ever thought of adding sweet potatoes to kheer! What a fabulous idea N! The rose water is an excellent addition too! Beautifully presented and I bet this tasted divine.
Balvinder Ubi
I haven’t added Sweet potatoes to kheer but made kheer out of it.
Tina Bk
This was very informative. I know that a lot of people lump the yam and sweet potato together, but they really are not the same.
Your kheer does look delicious and I have been toying with the idea of using rose water or some edible flowers. This is not the standard recipe for kheer, so your creativeness is to be commended. Well done!
Balvinder Ubi
That’s true it is not a standard recipe of kheer with rice and nuts. When I told my daughter this has grated sweet potatoes in it. She was more than surprised.
Spice Sherpa
Hello Neetu! I was enchanted with this post. The topic of cooking with rose petals has come up on my blog. I made a post out of it and decided to make a link from that one to to your kheer recipe so readers would have an interesting rose recipe to try. Here’s the link if you want to see: http://www.spicesherpa.com/2010/07/14/question-answered-are-dried-rose-petals-from-the-garden-ok-as-spice/
Balvinder Ubi
Thanks for making a link to my post.
Spice Sherpa
We share the same message: careful not to eat pesticides! Your dessert looks delicate and delicious.
Balvinder Ubi
I am not able to tweet for your post. There is some kind of error.
Soni
Gorgeous!!Have never tried making Kheer with Sweet Potatoes, but this looks so delicious, that I have to try them :)Thanks for sharing my friend!Lovely pics too!!
Balvinder Ubi
Even I was not sure that it would be so delish. Just try one time and you will make it again and again.
Cucina49
I would have guessed this was rice pudding–what a good use of sweet potatoes! The rose petal garnish is gorgeous and I can only imagine how lovely this smells.
Herjote
Hi Sis,
This looks really wonderful. I didn’t know that you can put roses into a dish and eat them. A special kheer with roses really makes an everyday kheer something special. Thanks and Good Job!
Jennifer
I cooked yams today as well. Your recipes are so unusual. I agree with your sister – this is special!!
Marina@Picnic at Marina
Oh what a great meal! Thanks for the rose tips. I have a few roses very fragrant in the garden, and I was thinking another day that I should make some infusion. Syrup sounds even better.
Claudia
The scope of your blog always amazes me. You do take such grand ingredients and create such flavor! (I do tend to use yams and sweet potatoes interchangeably and just roast them – boring). Love the use of the sweet roses.
Lizzy
The whole yam/sweet potato thing is so confusing. I think it’s nearly impossible to get real yams in the states. Your kheer is beautiful!!!
Vicki Bensinger
What a lovely recipe and leave it to our kids to straighten us out on many things! I’d love to have seen your daughters gnocchi, maybe you should have her post the results. Those sound yummy as well.
I think it’s incredible that as a child you ate rose petals. I would have been afraid it would make me sick but obviously not. Your dish looks so pretty with the rose petals on top and quite tasty. Thanks for sharing your story. Have a great day!
Juliana
So interesting this recipe with sweet potato…like the rose flavor in it…nice dessert Neetu 🙂
Hope you are having a great week!
Tiffany
Rose and cardamom together is the perfect flavor combo!
Nami | Just One Cookbook
So neat to add rose petal in this! I love cardamom and this looks fantastic!
Elisabeth
Just buzzed you, and answering your comment from foodbuzz. Yes, I have been on foodbuzz for nearly two years now. Glad you found me on there!
Such a lovely dessert you made out of sweet potatoes, and can only imagine the delicate rose scent and flavor…smooth, as silk:DDD
BeetleBuggy
This was a very informative post, Balvinder! I found out about orange-fleshed sweet potatoes only after coming to the States. In India, we usually get the white-fleshed ones, which is what my mum used. This kheer looks so tempting!
Kitchen Belleicious
this is so cool! I love it! I can only imagine how great it taste!
Alison
I’m totally one of those people who gets confused between sweet potatoes and yams. Either way I like them both! 🙂
Julie
Very innovative n delicious kheer,yummy!!
Join me in the ONGOING EVENT- “Mint & Coriander seeds” (EP Series-Apr)
ERIVUM PULIYUM
Jay
very interesting & healthy recipe..thanks for sharing..:)
Tasty Appetite
Parsley Sage
whaaaaa!? I thought a sweet potato WAS a yam!
awesome recipe, love the rose!
Anonymous
nice idea.. thanks for posting..
Chef Mireille
it’s always been confusing to me also..I learned about this differentiation when I was in culinary school, if only the markets would learn so as not to confuse us all. This is an amazing sounding recipe. It is very important also for people like me because I am allergic to white yam, but not sweet potato.
This recipe has mind blowing flavors – Since I have a few orange fleshed sweet potatoes in the house now, will try with the orange ones.
Jim McKenney
Have you tried making this with orange fleshed sweet potatoes? White fleshed sweet potatoes are only occasionally offered in the markets here (I live just outside of Washington, D.C.), while orange fleshed ones are always available.
Balvinder
I never did but I am sure it will look pretty and taste equally good.