No-Sugar Samak Kheer (Sweetened with Dates)
Creamy samak rice kheer slow-cooked in milk and sweetened naturally with dates, no refined sugar. A perfect Navratri vrat dessert with cardamom and dry fruits.
Equipment
- 1 Heavy-bottomed pan
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- ¼ cup samak rice barnyard millet
- 500 ml whole milk divided
- 5 soft dates such as Medjool, pitted
- 8-10 almonds sliced (plus more for garnish)
- 8-10 cashews roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp raisins
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- Dried rose petals for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the samak rice 2–3 times under running water, then soak in enough water for 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Soak the dates. Pit the dates and soak them in 3–4 tablespoons of the milk while the rice soaks.
- Pour the remaining milk into a heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Add the drained samak rice to the boiling milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are soft, tender and the milk has turned creamy.
- Blend the soaked dates along with their soaking milk into a smooth puree.
- Stir the sliced almonds, cashews, raisins and cardamom powder into the kheer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the date puree until fully combined. (Adding the puree off the heat keeps the milk from splitting.)
- Spoon into bowls, garnish with extra sliced almonds, raisins and dried rose petals. Serve warm or chilled.