Mahashivratri 2020: If you are asked about the dishes you can eat during any fasting, surely vrat wale aloo, sweet potato chaat and sabudana khichdi are few of the most common ones any one can think of. As the country gears up for Hindu festival - Mahashivratri, which falls on 21st February this year - we bring you a dessert recipe that will give a twist to your regular vrat-wala khana. It is called Shakarkandi Ki Kheer (Sweet Potato Pudding). This year, try having this kheer instead of any other dessert or may be sweet potato chaat, which contains the goodness of sweet potato and milk.
Sweet potato - a close cousin of our regular potato - is an excellent source of nutrients. The various kinds of minerals, vitamins and fibre content in it benefit our overall health. This starchy yet sweet-tasting root vegetable is high in antioxidant called beta carotene, which gets transformed into vitamin A post consumption. Sweet potato is eaten during vrat due to its high fibre content, which not only promotes digestion, but also keeps a person full for a longer time.
Also Read: Move Over Sabudana Vada And Khichdi; Try Sabudana Paratha Instead (Recipe Inside)
Here's The Recipe For Shakarkandi Ki Kheer (Sweet Potato Pudding):
Ingredients:
Sweet Potato - 2 cups (grated)
Full Fat Milk - 1 litre
Bay leaves - 2
Cardamom - 4-5 pieces (crushed)
Jaggery powder - 1 cup (may be some more as per taste)
Almonds - 7-8 (finely sliced)
Cashew - 8-10 (broken)
Raisin - 10-12
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Sendha Namak (Rock Salt) - 1 pinch
Preparation:
Wash the grated sweet potato several times in running water and pat it dry with kitchen towel.
Put ghee in a frying pan and sauté the sweet potato till the ghee gets fully absorbed. Keep that aside.
Fry the cashew nut and raisin in ghee till its light brown in colour.
Take a sauce pan, boil the milk for five minutes with bay leaves and crushed cardamom.
Put the sautéed sweet potato in the milk and stir it continuously, till it gets boiled well.
Now, put the cashew, raisin and sliced almond in the saucepan and stir everything for 2-3 minutes.
When you feel the kheer has got its desired consistency, put the jaggery powder and a pinch of rock salt and mix. You can also use white sugar instead of jaggery.
If you want to use sugar instead of jaggery powder, then add two scoops of milk powder in the kheer (milk powder enhances the flavour).
Make sure, the kheer is prepared in low flame. Slow-cooking brings out the richness of kheer.
Finally, the delicious Shakarkandi ki Kheer is ready to be a part of your vrat meal. You can have the kheer hot as well as cold. Happy Mahashivratri 2020!