This delicious and pretty looking orange dessert is a recipe, I’ve leant from my thakurma, my paternal grandmother, who is an amazing cook. Though, now because of her age she doesn’t cook, but she is always ready to share her recipes with me, so that I can replicate them. And I am more than happy to do so! So, this kheer komola or Bengali orange kheer is one of her specialities, which she would make most winters. Since, oranges are available in the colder months in India, this is a winter recipe. Now, about the kheer, it is an extremely easy recipe and made with a very few ingredients. Actually, you only need three of them. But the add ons, like the cardamom powder, saffron etc only elevate the flavours.
This is an under 30 minute dessert recipe. And I simply can’t tell you, enough, how yummy this kheer is. The pulpy, orange chunks dunked in the reduced, sweetened milk, is pure joy. And the fragrance and colour of saffron in it, is so pleasing. The kheer komola (Bengali orange kheer) is best served fresh and chilled.
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Kheer komola
Like my thakurma, even I have made this sweet dish with full fat milk. As a result, the reduced and thickened milk is more creamy, which only adds to the taste. Secondly, about the oranges, I have made sure to use those, that aren’t very sour. While, slightly tangy oranges work well, but you would want them to be sweet, as well. The combination of the fragrant, sweetened milk and slightly tangy oranges, is amazing. However, an overtly sour fruit could spoil the mouthfeel of the kheer, which is not desirable. Hence, be sure to pick seasonal fruits for this one.
Thirdly, there is a process, albeit small, for chopping the fruit too. You have got to peel the fruit and remove any seeds or fibres sticking in it. Then, chop them into small bits and muddle most them, using a wooden muddler or spoon. What this step ensures is that, the orange bits are pulpy and when mixed with the milk, won’t stand out, but gel in well. Also, the addition of the juice, due to muddling, enhances the beautiful, citrusy flavour of the kheer komola (Bengali orange kheer).
To keep in mind
The most crucial part of this recipe is mixing the fruit with the milk. Now, you are not to cook the milk and the oranges together – otherwise the milk could spilt. Only once the milk is throughly reduced, sweetened, flavoured and cooled down, do we add the chopped fruit. Thereafter, it is mixed in well and refrigerated, until served.
The kheer komola is a very easy and a quick recipe. And, whenever I have made it, no matter how big a batch, it gets over the same day – it is that yummy. This is a great, effortless, Indian dessert option when you are hosting guests at home or even to make on any special occasion. It tastes heavenly, and looks regal with all the pretty garnishes.
So, do give this beauty a try and make sure to let me know how it went.
Eat hearty!
Kheer komola (Bengali orange kheer)
Equipment
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk or 1 litre
- 1½ cups oranges* chopped and muddled
- 4-5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp saffron strands
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
For garnishing
- 3 tbsp pistachios chopped
- 2 tbsp dried rose petals optional
Instructions
- Set the milk to boil in the sauce pan, over medium flame
- Once it comes to a roll boil, scrape the sides of the pan, give the milk a stir and keep boiling
- When it reduces to half its quantity and thickens, add the saffron strands, sugar and cardamom. Mix all the in, well
- Once the sugar dissolves, remove from flame in a mixing bowl and cool completely
- Then add in the muddled oranges and stir in well. Refrigerate for at least an hour, before serving
- Garnish the delicious kheer komola or Bengali orange kheer with the chopped pistachios and rose petals. Enjoy!
Notes
- *Chop the oranges after de-seeding them. Muddle them using a wooden spoon/spatula. Add the juices also to the reduced and cooled milk
- You can adjust the sugar to your taste and also according to the sweetness of the oranges
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
