Mango Kheer

The count down is over now and Durga Puja is onto us. The usual cues of blue skies and fluffy white clouds are missing and so is the sound of dhaak from the local pandal. Instead we have the stinging cold air and thousand shades of gray covering the Seattle sky.

The childhood memories of gathering shiuli flowers before puja, the endless hours of deciding which new clothes to wear on which day, the smell of new clothes and shoes, the time spent with friends and family at the puja pandal all seemed so unreal as we drove towards Rama Krishna Math near Seattle to attend our local puja.

However, as we arrived at Tapovan (the temple) everything suddenly seemed like the same. Women were shivering but still flaunting their saris, everyone was in their best attires. There was a huge queue in front to get into the pandal to offer pushpanjali. My daughter confusedly asked, “is this the airport that we need to take off our shoes?”.

The queue infront of the food stalls were even longer. Even though it was a pot-luck, most people including me had got the same Khichuri and Labra. Some had got some nice sweets as well. I kind of felt bad about not doing the same. I had made some Aam (mango) kheer couple of days back and realized it would’ve gone really well. Maybe that’s what I’ll get next time.

Sharadiya Subhecha to all my readers.

Ingredients

1. 1 lit full cream milk
2. 1 can sweetened condensed milk
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1 cup mango pulp (I used canned one, you can make your fresh mango pulp as well )
5. Few cubes of fresh mango

Procedure

Take milk in a heavy bottom pan and bring it to a boil. Keep on thickening the milk till it reduces to half of its initial volume. While doing so stir it continuously to avoid scalding at the bottom of the pan. Also control the temperature so that the milk does not froth over.

Remove the pan from heat an bring it to room temperature.

Now add condensed milk to it and stir.Taste it. If you think the sweet level is less adjust by adding sugar to it. If you are planning to add canned mango pulp, add less sugar. Refrigerate and chill.

When it is cooled add the mango pulp and swirl. Pour in dessert bowl and garnish with the cubes of mango.