Dear Atiya,

Here are two recipes for the kheer you enjoyed in Fort Worth. The first recipe is the original, your Mimi’s, the second is my inauthentic version you tried recently.

Moli’s Original Kheer Recipe

1/2 pint of Half and Half

1/2 pint 2% Milk

1/2 Cup Soaked Chinigura rice

3/4 cup Jaggery

1/2 cup Coconut

Simmer rice and liquids until soft.

Gradually add jaggery.

Add shredded coconut.

Enjoy.

Mom’s Inauthentic Kheer Recipe

2 1/2 cups of whole milk [had some left over from Mac and Cheese the other night]

1/2 cup Jasmine Rice [I was too lazy to open a fresh bag of Chinigura rice]

3/4 cup Jaggery [bought in Dallas, use poor substitute brown sugar if unavailable]

1/4 cup Shredded Coconut

I heated the milk and rice with 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamoms and 1 bay leaf [because I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to because it competes with the jaggery flavor]

Be sure to simmer on low otherwise milk will boil over. This takes a while, about 30-40 minutes. Don’t rush it. The milk will thicken and the rice will soften.

Once the rice was soft, I added the jaggery and the shredded coconut.

Your done! Enjoy warm or chilled.

 

I’m sure you’ll find your own version when you make it.  Basically milk, rice and sugar. The key is the low and slow simmering.