Cheppi Kheeri with Coconut Milk And Turmeric Leaves.

Cheppi Kheeri With Haldi Paan for Today's Nag Panchami Naivedyam / Bland Rice Kheeri Cooked in Coconut Milk with Turmeric Leaves ..........

Cheppi Kheeri is actually bland kheer ie kheeri which is neither sweet / salty / sour nor spicy. This is a traditional GSB / Saraswat Konkani dish prepared during many festivals around rainy season when turmeric leaves are available in plenty. Legend has it saying that Goddess Parvathi prepared this with lots of love to Lord Shiva who relished this with great desire. So may be the other main ingredient in this dish is “cooking it with love”.

This kheeri is a very simple dish prepared as Naivedyam / an offering to God on auspicious days, for which only a good quality rice is used in cooking along with coconut milk and turmeric leaves. The aroma of the turmeric leaves is acutally the whole and sole of this particular Kheeri.

The whole of house gets filled with this fragrant aroma when cooked. The dish though simple is yet very very tasty and has a tinge of sweetness to it when eaten.

To Prepare Coconut Milk : Grate the upper fresh white part of one whole coconut and soak it in a glass of warm water for about 10-15 minutes. Grind this to a fine paste with another cup of water in a mixer very well. Remove and strain the coconut paste through a muslin cloth. The thick coconut milk obtained is the Ist thick coconut milk. Now add the residue into the mixer again and add in a cup or two of water and grind to fine paste. Strain again through the same muslin cloth. The coconut milk obtained is the 2nd thin coconut milk. Keep both of them ready aside.

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. Keep this ready.

Preparation of Cheppi Kheeri : Boil plenty of water (say about 2.5 litres) in a thick bottomed stainless steel vessel. When the water just about comes to boil, lower the heat and add in the turmeric leaves to the water and then bring to a boil. 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. But before that add the 1st thick coconut milk and mix well. Lower the heat to minimum and let cook till a bit mushy and thick. Do not add much of water. You should be able to keep stirring the mixture. 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. 

The Cheppi Kheeri is done and ready to be served. Serve this hot to family and friends after offering it to God as Naivedyam. Patrado as an accompaniment along with Kheeri tastes great. But you can serve this as it is too. Some people enjoy this with a pinch of salt too.

** Note: Usually 2-3 types of food items are prepared during festivals. The most common being Cheppi Kheeri with Patrado, Dal, Some spicy curries, Sweet Patholi etc. 

** My Family Preference :  My family somehow like the combination of thick spicy Dalitoy and Patrado with Cheppi Kheeri. So I do make it a point to make the same every time I prepare Cheppi Kheeri. I have already posted both Patrado and Dalitoy recipes.

** My Tip for Coconut Milk : You can use readily available coconut milk in market for the preparation of Cheppi Kheeri too. I do the same most of the time as you get very good quality coconut milk nowadays in the Market. It saves time and the tiresome work too. I have added 200ml of coconut milk while preparing the cheppi kheeri many a times. Just add the same when the rice has almost cooked to about 80% and follow rest of the above method. There is no much difference whatsoever in the dish. The taste remains the same.