Sunday, January 24, 2010

Slow Cooker Pista Kheer

One of the items at the top of my  to buy list for my kitchen was a slow cooker for quite a long while.I was fascinated by the concept of a slow cooker couldn't wait to get it. Finally during the latter part of last summer I made the move, researched rival products and purchased my slow cooker.

I was so excited about it, the first thing I made with it was this paal payasam (milk pudding) and it turned out fantastic.Unlike making payasam on the stove top, the slow cooker requires almost no baby sitting to complete it. You do not have to worry about milk either sticking or burning, you just switch it on and and the end of the time voila, payasam ready :-)

Since the first time, mostly my slow cooker gets used for savory dishes like choley, rajmah and dal makhni. But last week I had another opportunity to make dessert and I settled on pista kheer. Since I was cooking many other items simultaneously, I decided to use the slow cooker. The kheer got ready in four hours, but four hours that I was able to use going about my business. I went for a walk, got the entire dinner ready and completed quite a few of my other errands, at the end of that time I got this kheer as my reward ! Cool huh ? and the best part was.....the kheer tasted awesome....I love when gadgets make my life easier, don't you?

Pista Kheer 2

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Slow cooker pista kheer

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups half & half
3 cups whole milk
2 pinches good quality saffron (kumkuma poo)
1/3 cup plain pistachios (pista)
5 green cardamom seeds

Place condensed milk, half & half, milk and saffron in a slow cooker and set on high heat to cook for 4 hours.

Soak the pistachios in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder powder the pistachios coarsely, I used mortar and pestle.

Powder cardamom seeds until fine.

Add pistachios and cardamom seed powder to the kheer about halfway into the cooking time, mix well and allow the mixture to cook for the balance of time.

The copyright of this content belongs to Veginspirations.com

Remove cool to room temperature, then refrigerate and serve this chilled.

Serves approximately 2 to 3

Notes
If you want to make this on the stove top, place the ingredients as mentioned in step one in a large heavy bottomed pan and allow to simmer, stirring continuously until the mixture begins to reduce and thicken to about 3/4 of original quantity.

Add pistachios and cardamom seed powder and allow to simmer a little longer stirring continuously on low heat until the mixture becomes 1/2 its original quantity.

If you do not have half & half and want to use milk instead you can do that, only you will have to set the slow cooker to cook on high for 5 to 6 hours instead of 4

Or if you are making it on the stove top with milk entirely instead of half & half and milk, you would have to simmer the mixture longer and stir it frequently as mentioned above.

30 comments :

Preeti Kashyap said...

Lovely Usha. I got a slow cooker as a gift and I didn't know what to do with it. Thanks a lot for posting this! Now I know what to make!

Finla said...

My sis is always praising her slow cooker, pity we don't get them here. Kheer looks so so yumm.

Parita said...

The pic looks fantastic!!

Pavithra Elangovan said...

I love milk kheers... its my top most favourites... looks yumm and the click is perfect.

ruchikacooks said...

Congrats on the slow cooker. It is super good in the kitchen. I make khichdis and bise bela bath even pongal in it..Kheer tastes awesome with slow cooking..Gets all the flavors..Wish I had some of your yummy pista kheer now..

kitchen queen said...

lovely and delicious kheer with a nice click.you can drop in my blog and give ur comments.

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

whata rich and delicious kheer.. my mouth is watering. cooking in slowcooker is a great idea.

simplyfood said...

This looks amazing, and so effortless that you could make it time nad time again.

Rachana said...

Wow!!! What a yummy bowl of kheer. Looks great!

Priya Suresh said...

Thats a tempting pista kheer..looks awesome and rich with those nuts..

Pam said...

This looks absolutely wonderful!

suvi said...

Wow, that looks yum! Great idea to use a slow cooker for making kheer!

Gita Jaishankar said...

Such a delicious kheer Usha...I too brought a slow cooker recently and have been trying out some dishes...I am surely going to try yours :)

Renuka Bedre - Rao said...

wow!! superb..kheer is looking so yummy!
Renuka
http://cookingyummy.blogspot.com

Padmajha said...

I dont have a slow cooker but looks like I can try this on stove top.Looks yum!!

Cham said...

I don't own one - but this one makes me think I should get one!
Delicious kheer!

Unknown said...

looks delicious..you are tempting me to buy a slow cooker

Unknown said...

The kheer is lovely....always wanted to make payasam/kheer using the slow cooker. Thanks a ton for the recipe...

gtyuk said...

pista kheer looks absolutely rich and delicious!! didn't know about that slow cooker, will try to get it!!!

CurryLeaf said...

Lovely Usha.I wish I have a slowcooker.But the stove top directions are also perfect.Surely thgh it was slow it was a winner.I always avoided slow cooker bcoz of time,but the end result as you said is worth it.Looks Great.

Sucharitha said...

Hi Usha, thank you for visiting Krishnaarpanam. You dint know about quinoa upma and I never knew that it could be used in making dosa. Thanks for the other quinoa recipes. I'm looking for more recipes to make it in different ways. By the way, the pista kheer looks really delish and mouth watering.

Vanamala Hebbar said...

I dont have slow cooker..somehow idont like..kheer is very nice

Soma said...

Seeing the post I had to rush:-) Sounds soooo good. I gave away my slow cooker! never thought of making kheer in it. I should regret now:-)

Indhu said...

I don't have a slow cooker... but I am definitely making this kheer on the stove top... and yeah... I love it when gadgets make the whole cooking process easier :)

karuna said...

That is an awesome idea. Making it in the slow cooker. I have an electric cooktop, and its sooo much of a pain to make any Indian sweet dish. it often sticks to the pan. This is really cool. Nice recipe too.

Hayley said...

Delectable kheer...looks very colourful..can't wait ti try..

Devasena Hariharan said...

Yummy Kheer! Never heard abt a slow cooker. Cool...

Unknown said...

Havent heard of this slw cooker, nice that u shared it. Mouth is watering seeing ur pista kheer!

Habiba said...

Great idea to cook it in the slow cooker instead of standing and watching it over the stove for hours.. :)
Just one quick question,, how much rice did use for this recipe?

Usha said...

Thanks all !

@ Habiba, I did not use any rice in this kheer just pista !

Related Posts with Thumbnails