Samak Rice Kheer Recipe (Barnyard Millet Kheer)
Samak rice kheer is a creamy, fasting-friendly pudding made with barnyard millet, milk, and saffron. Follow this easy 30-minute recipe for your next Navratri or Shivratri vrat.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 3 tablespoons chopped nuts I used almonds, cashews and pistachios
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- ¼ cup samak rice (barnyard millet)
- 3 cups whole milk (full-fat)
- 1 pinch saffron
- ¼ cup sugar or to taste
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
- Rinse the rice. Transfer samak rice to a fine sieve and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. This washes off the starchy dust on the grains so the kheer doesn't turn cloudy or gummy later. Keep aside.
- Roast the nuts. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add chopped nuts and raisins, then roast until the raisins just puff up.
- Add the rice. Add the rinsed samak rice to the pan and roast for 20-30 seconds.
- Add the milk. Pour milk into the pan and bring it to a boil on medium heat. Add saffron and mix well.
- Cook the kheer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the kheer simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Samak rice is tiny and settles quickly, so regular stirring is what separates a smooth kheer from a burnt one. You'll know it's ready when the kheer coats the back of a spoon.
- Sweeten and flavor. Add sugar, rose water, and cardamom powder, then simmer for 3-4 minutes. Adding sugar only after the rice has softened prevents it from slowing down the cooking, which is a common reason kheer rice stays hard. Check for sugar and add more if needed.
- Rest before serving. Turn off the heat and let the kheer sit for 5 minutes. It thickens further as it cools, so pulling it off the heat a little early, while it's still slightly thinner than you want, stops it from turning too dense once it rests. Serve warm, or chill it for a couple of hours if you prefer it cold.
Samak rice has a mild, slightly nutty taste of its own, so you may need less sugar than you would for a regular chawal ki kheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 1mg
