Rice Kheer

As a child, I waited all year for my Mom to make Rice Kheer. Traditionally Rice Kheer is only made in 'Pitru Paksha', a time where you remember all the loved ones that are no longer with us. My mother follows the tradition and so, I do not recall eating this Kheer in a happy setting.
As I grew up, I realised I wanted to make it as and when. The issue was the process. My mom soaks, dries and then lightly grinds the rice to make Kheer out of it. Being a working mom, I do not have the enthusiasm to follow this complicated procedure. So I tried making the kheer with coarse IDLI RAVA. It tasted just as good and Coarse Idli Rava is easy to find. You can subsitute Idli Rava with normal Rava to make Rava Kheer...which is just as yummy....

Rice Kheer:
Coarse Idli Rava - 1/2 cup or Normal Rava - 1/2 cup
Milk - 5 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsps
Sugar - 1 cup...You can add more or less depending on your taste
Chopped Cashews - a handful
Raisins - handful
Nutmeg Powder - few dashes
Kesar - 15 strands


Procedure:
Keep Milk to warm on a burner, use milk with high fat content.
In a seperate vessel, heat ghee and when its hot, roast Rava / Idli Rava for a couple minutes.
Add the milk to this vessel, and let the milk boil. When the milk and Rava mixture is at a pint that the Rava is cooked and milk is thickened, add sugar. You can add the nuts and remaining ingredients now.
boil until the dry fruits are soaked well. Shut off the heat below the vessel and let cool.

Personally I like when the kheer is cold and thick in consistency. It gives a porridge like consistency that even my girl enjoys. I make this kheer ahead of time and she can enjoy it as a snacks for a few days !

Please let me know what you think ....
Radhika