Shedding Light on Diwali
November 9th marks the beginning of the five day festival of Diwali celebrated by Indian Hindus. The festival is marked by lighting up neighborhoods, fireworks and wearing new brightly coloured clothes.
It is also marked by the eating of many treats but especially sweets of all kinds, and Indian cuisine is filled with the sweetest of the sweets! If you have a little India where you live, venture out over the weekend to see the beautiful sweet shops ladden with colourful, syrupy sweets wrapped in bits of silver and gold leaf – it is really a spectacular sight.
In honour of Dawali, I am sharing my authentic recipe for Kheer. I was given this recipe when I was the pastry chef at the Art Gallery of Ontario and we catered a fantastically opulent party for an Indian couple and this was the family recipe essential to all celebratory events.
I had to make it for 500 – I’ve broken it down so you can make it for 6…
Special Occassion Kheer
In a deep pot over medium heat cook:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup basmati rice
2/3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 green cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 tsp saffron
Cook until rice is tender, add the 3 cups cream and continue to cook, stirring often until thickened.
Remove from the heat and stir in:
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 sliver almonds
1/4 cup pistachios
1/2 sliced dried apricots
Or if you like the flavour of rose water, skip the saffron and use 1 Tbsp rose water.
Happy Diwali!
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