Peas in a kheer, I can visualize your expressions but I bet, once you try this recipe, you’ll be wowed and thrilled with the end result. In short, a sublime dessert.
Generally, Kheer from Northern India or Payasam from Southern India is a kind of pudding prepared with milk/coconut milk as a medium in which rice, broken wheat, vermicelli, sago, or any millet is cooked along with any sweetening agent, garnished with nuts and raisins. It is served almost on all occasions, festivals, and gatherings as the popular dessert. Any celebration is incomplete without Kheer or payasam.
Twist in this kheer/payasam is the inclusion of peas, a vegetable. An unexpected ingredient to think in a kheer. Also, kids friendly if you want to incorporate vegetables in your kid’s diet if they are a fussy eater. Thus, a healthy recipe wrapped in an alluring form.
The kitchen tip to be noted here is I used my own frozen fresh peas. Yes, I buy fresh peas during the season and freeze them in an airtight container. Defrost and use it when you need, thus avoiding store-bought frozen peas.
Don’t forget to scroll down to the Notes, you’ll have a bonus recipe under my kitchen secret. My Kitchen Secrets saves you when you are puzzled with leftovers. Every recipe in this blog has a surprise package in the kitchen secret which will definitely make you awestruck…😲. You’ll visualize how each leftover of that recipe transforms into an unimaginable dish, unleash your creativity and explore beyond limits.
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Cook the fresh peas in a cup of water in a closed pan till it becomes mushy. Adjust water till you get the desired mushy consistency. It may take roughly 20 minutes to complete. Alternatively, it can be pressure cooked with few whistles to attain this texture.
Meanwhile, soak pistachio kernels in hot water for 15 minutes or till it becomes soft enough to be de-skinned.
Meantime boil 3 cups of milk in thick bottomed pan (kadai) for around 20 minutes or till it reduces to 2 cup in medium flame with stirring on and off.
Once the peas cool down, grind them with 2 tbsp of water to a fine smooth paste and keep it aside.
After de-skinning the pistachio, grind them as a coarse paste in a mixer and keep it aside.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan, add the finely ground peas paste. Sauté in medium flame for 5 – 7 minutes or till the raw smell goes off.
Then add coarsely ground pistachio, sauté well. Then add half of the reduced boiled milk, stir it to mix thoroughly.
Let it boil for 10 minutes in medium flame. Later add remaining milk, ½ tsp cardamom powder, 1/3 cup of condensed milk, keep boiling for another 15 minutes in the same flame.
Now your Peas kheer is ready to serve, garnish with Chironji.
Recipe Card
Preparation time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 50 minutes
Category : Indian dessert
Serves : 4
Author : Manimala
Ingredients:
Peas – ½ cup
Pistachio kernels – ⅛ cup
Milk – 3 cups
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Condensed milk – ⅓ cup
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
For garnish:
Chironji / Charoli / Saraparuppu – 1 tsp
Instructions:
- Cook the fresh peas in a cup of water in a closed pan till it becomes mushy. Adjust water till you get the desired mushy consistency. It may take roughly 20 minutes to complete. Alternatively, it can be pressure cooked with few whistles to attain this texture.
- Meanwhile, soak pistachio kernels in hot water for 15 minutes or till it becomes soft enough to be de-skinned.
- Meantime boil 3 cups of milk in thick bottomed pan (kadai) for around 20 minutes or till it reduces to 2 cup in medium flame with stirring on and off.
- Once the peas cool down, grind them with 2 tbsp of water to a fine smooth paste and keep it aside
- After de-skinning the pistachio, grind them as a coarse paste in a mixer and keep it aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan, add the finely ground peas paste. Sauté in medium flame for 5 – 7 minutes or till the raw smell goes off.
- Then add coarsely ground pistachio, sauté well. Then add half of the reduced boiled milk, stir it to mix thoroughly. Let it boil for 10 minutes in medium flame.
- Later add remaining milk, ½ tsp cardamom powder, 1/3 cup of condensed milk, keep boiling for another 15 minutes in the same flame.
- Now your peas kheer/payasam is ready to serve, garnish with Chironji.
Notes:
- Generally, kheer/payasam are made with rice, sago seeds, semolina, vermicelli, or any small millet. This kheer is a big hit and a surprise package due to its key ingredient PEAS. Unless you reveal, guests or your family members will not be able to figure out the secret ingredient of this dessert.
- Two key steps in this kheer are-
- The peas should be cooked till it’s mushy resulting in a smooth paste when ground.
- Sautéing the peas paste in ghee for the required time is mandatory to get rid of the raw smell.
- Pista adds an extra kick to the flavour. If it’s not available, you can skip it. But I suggest you not to miss it.
- I didn’t add sugar, the only sweetener in this kheer is condensed milk. Adjust the quantity according to your palate, the quantity of condensed milk I added is enough for moderate. If you don’t have condensed milk on your shelves, you can always replace it with sugar.
- After adding the remaining milk in the 8th step, boil it for 10 minutes or till your desired consistency is reached.
- It can be served hot or cold (after refrigerating). Sweetness faints a little after refrigerating.
Now time for my kitchen secret...😉🤩
If you have leftover kheer in any case… 🤪, easy way to clear the stock is to shake, yes, make a milkshake with ripened banana or mango. According to the quantity of leftover kheer, add the fruit of your choice, then add few drops of honey or a scoop of ice cream to enhance the flavour. I made with mango and named it as Mango Kheer Milkshake (check this recipe using the hyperlink)