"Naivedyam: Cheppi Kheeri Haldi Paan ghalnu/ Rice Cooked in Coconut Milk+ Turmeric Leaves" ... a simple delicious bland flavoured kheeri/ payasam prepared with rice cooked in coconut milk along with turmeric leaves for aroma ... a traditional offering observed during Nag Panchami by GSB Konkani Saraswat's ... though the dish is bland, I guess its Sri. Hari's grace that turns it out delicious ... do try it when turmeric leaves are in season .... Stay Blessed- Spread Happiness.
** Cheppi Kheeri is actually bland kheer ie kheeri which is neither sweet/ salty/ sour or spicy. This is a traditional dish from GSB Konkani Saraswat cuisine prepared during many festivals around rainy season when turmeric leaves are available in plenty. Legend has it saying that Goddess Parvathi prepared this with love for Bhagawan Shiva, who relished it with great desire as anything based on milk was his favorite, so is a favorite of Sri. Ganesha. I guess the other main ingredient in this dish is “cooking with love”.
** Cheppi means bland in Konkani and Kheeri is a reference to payasam, as goes the name cheppi kheeri. This is a simple dish prepared as Naivedyam/ Prasadam, an offering to God on auspicious days, for which good quality rice like amba mor which has its own fragrance is used in cooking along with coconut milk and turmeric leaves. These days Amba Mor rice is available online, so that should not be an issue. However, as per availability you can use any rice suitable to for you, like basmati etc.
** The aroma of fresh turmeric leaves is actually the whole and sole of this particular Kheeri. One really needs to adapt to the taste to fall in love with this scrumptious dish. Your whole home will get filled with this fragrant aroma when cooked, well in flat system houses even friendly neighbor peep in to see what's being cooked. The dish though simple is yet very tasty and has a tinge of sweetness of coconut to it when eaten. Turmeric leaves are often available in plenty during monsoon, so do try this out.
** About Coconut milk/ Narla rosu/ Nariyal doodh used in this recipe, though freshly prepared one's are always preferred, in case of you want an easier way out it is easily available in stores and you can use the same. However if you would like to prepare it fresh at home then I am sharing a link to “method of preparation of coconut milk” at the bottom of this recipe, you may check out if need be. It is easy to prepare however, I must mention some work of grating fresh coconut, grinding, sieving will be involved.
** I am sharing a common link to all “Cheppi Kheeri” recipes shared in Blog at bottom of this recipe, which will access you to present and future postings of any cheppi kheeri prepared and shared, you may check it for more information, some of them include step by step procedure of preparing of the kheeri. There are plenty of other Naivedyam recipes too that are shared from time to time, do browse through, try them out and enjoy with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible.
** Here is my recipe for "Cheppi Kheeri Haldi Paan ghalnu/ Rice Cooked in Coconut Milk+ Turmeric Leaves" which I learnt from my Amma ...
** For Prepare Coconut Milk : I have shared in detail the procedure of preparing coconut milk, by making a separate post of it, as it will help me while sharing future posts wherever coconut milk is being used. The link has been shared at the bottom of this recipe, please browse through the same, Inconvenience regretted.
** Clean and wash 3 cups of good quality rice in plenty of water (I used Amba Mor Rice which has a bit of fragrance and goes well with all types of Kheer).
** Wash, cut 2-3 turmeric leaves to 6 inch sized pieces and keep this ready aside. You can also use the edge portions on both sides of leaves and retain the middle portion for preparing patholi, another naivedyam delicacy. I follow that method as it serves the purpose of preparing two dishes with same turmeric leaves.
** For Cheppi Kheeri : Boil plenty of water (say about 6 cups) in a thick bottomed stainless steel vessel. When the water just about comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat and add in the turmeric leaves to the water and then bring to a boil again. Crush the turmeric leaves a bit with hand before adding it into the water, as this helps the leaves in releasing its fragrance well. Now add in the washed rice and mix well.
** Increase the heat to maximum and bring the rice to a boil and let cook for 5-10 minutes on high heat. Then lower the heat to medium and add in the 2nd thin coconut milk to the rice. Mix well, and keep cooking till the rice is almost cooked. The Kheeri has to be further cooked as it has to be a bit mushy in texture. However, before that add extracted 1st thick coconut milk and continue cooking while stirring often.
** Lower the heat to minimum and let cook until the rice has been cooked a bit mushy and thick. Do not add much of water, you should be able to keep stirring the mixture as it tends to stick to the vessel. If you find it difficult to do so, you can add in some water. At no point leave the kheeri unattended when cooking as stirring often to check that it does not get burnt at the bottom, which is very important. The kheeri is now done.
** Important Note : The above mentioned method is to be followed when you use fresh coconut milk extracted at home. However, in case you purchase the store bought packed coconut milk then you will have to change the method a little bit. Readily available coconut milk is thick and there won't be an issue of using thick and thin extract unlike fresh one's. So cook the rice in turmeric leaves with just enough water say about 5 cups and when it thickens and turns soft in texture add the 200 ml thick coconut milk and mix well, continue until bubbles appear on surface, stirring well in avoid being stuck/ burnt at the bottom of vessel.
** "Cheppi Kheeri Haldi Paan ghalnu/ Rice Cooked in Coconut Milk+ Turmeric Leaves" is done and ready to offered as Naivedyam to God and there by served during meals. Tastes best served hot with Patrado and thick dalitoy as accompaniment during meals, which is our favorite combo at home. In fact I must mention that in my home I prepare thick dal with addition of ginger to be served with cheppi kheeri along with patrado/ alu vadi prepared with green gram/ moong and it tastes scrumptious. For those of you who find it too bland can add a pinch of salt while serving if desired.
** I would also like to mention here that “Cheppi Kheeri” is a must dish prepared as an Naivedyam offering to Bhagawan Shiva on Nag Panchami festival and to Sri Ganesha on Ganesha Chaturthi day along with a few other dishes. There are many people who are not fond of it as they consider it bland. I guess one needs to develop a taste from childhood to relish on some of the traditional dishes as these days youngsters are so used to fast foods that they unfortunately detest healthy homemade dishes.
** Again, some people add on some sugar or jaggery powder and prepare a sweeter version too, while a few more relish it with a pinch of salt or any spicy pickle. Each one has their own favorite variation of relishing cheppi kheeri and unless one tries it out they will not know its taste for sure. In my opinion we should always prepare traditional dishes atleast once in a year and make it a compulsion to savor so that the tradition continues for generations to come which otherwise to our regret it will be lost forever.
** Sharing a common link below to “Cheppi Kheeri” recipes, please browse through for more options and step by step procedures ....
** You can check method of preparing “Coconut Milk/ Narla Rosu/ Nariyal ka Doodh” by following the link given below ….
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