A makhana kheer recipe with jaggery to satiate your sweet cravings
Rich in fibre, protein, and calcium, this makhana kheer recipe is healthy and takes hardly 20 minutes to prepare, but it offers several health benefits. So why not give it a try?
All my childhood memories revolve around food and the Navratri celebrations at my grandma’s place are no exception. The undisputed highlight of childhood Navratris? Feasting on all the goodies, participating in poori eating competitions along with a boisterous bunch of cousins and being crowned the undisputed champ for a record number of years, until, alas, all of us discovered concepts like calories, trans fats, mindful eating, wellness and fitness (and, ahem, in certain cases, size zero). But even back in the day, when deep-fried malpuas, syrup-doused pantuas and crispy boondi ruled the roost and cholesterol and triglyceride were alien terms, a gluten free, antioxidant rich dessert held sway over our hearts. I am talking of Makhane ki Kheer, of course.
A Navratri staple, it was a humble and healthy alternative to rice kheer. Perhaps it was the novelty factor, perhaps it was just our overactive imagination, but the rice preparation seemed to be richer, creamier and took a whole lot more time appearing on the table, while the makhana version seemed to be lighter, sweeter and took barely any time disappearing from our bowls!
Once fine saptami, when we enquired into the ingredients, only to be told it included jaggery and not sugar, our enthusiasm to devour it was slightly diminished. Fortunately, our appetites remained unaffected.
So, without further ado, let’s take a quick peek into what goes into making the Makhane ki kheer oh so special:
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons of ghee
2 bowls of makhana (Also known as fox nuts/gorgon nuts/lotus seeds. Make sure the makhanas are small)
Vibha Batra is an award-winning and bestselling author, graphic novelist, advertising consultant, poet, lyricist, translator, playwright, script writer, travel writer, columnist, speaker and creative writing mentor. She has published 23 books (and counting!), over 100 short stories and many, many poems in anthologies, magazines and ezines. Her travelogues have appeared in The Hindu, Conde Nast Traveller, Deccan Chronicle, and The Week. Her short plays have been staged during the Short and Sweet Theatre Festival.