Snake Gourd Kheer

Ready to serve Padavalakai/Snake Gourd Kheer/Payasa 

    

 

Snake Gourd is a vegetable and it is known as padavala kai in Kannada, Chinchinda or Padaval in Hindi, Padavalanga in Malayalam, Pudalnkai in Tamil. Snake gourd is used here in this recipe for Kheer.(Payasam). This Kheer contain Padavala kai, jaggery, coconut, milk and cardamom. This kheer helps you to cool down the body.  Since the jaggery is used all age group can enjoy this kheer.
Snake gourd is very high in water content and has a cooling effect on the  body. It is low in calories and fat free. Snake gourd contain lots of fiber which is helpful for the digestive system. The fiber is also helpful for those with diabetes. It is a good resource of minerals.

Things Needed :
Snake gourd : 2 (small size)
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Milk : 1 Cup
Beaten Rice (Awalakki) : 3 to 4 Table spoon
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Ghee : 1 Table spoon
Cashew nuts : 2 Table spoons

 Method :
1. Wash and cut Snake gourd into small pieces and pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
4. Grind coconut with little water and squeeze out the milk. Grind the coconut again with little more water and squeeze out the milk again from the ground coconut mixture and keep them separately.

5. Now keep a pan on the fire and put cooked snake gourd pieces and jaggery. Cook them together for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thinner (coconut milk which got in the second time).
6. Add beaten rice and mix it nicely and let it cook for 2 minutes.

7. Now add the thicker coconut milk and just boil for 1 minute. Put off the gas and pour the ready kheer to a serving bowl. Add cardamom powder.
8. Now keep a small pan and heat. Add ghee and fry cashew nuts for 10 seconds. Pour cashew ghee mixture to the ready kheer.
9. Add milk when you are ready to serve the kheer and serve hot or cold kheer.

Note :

 You can also grind coconut into paste and add it to the kheer instead of coconut milk. Use 5 to 6 almonds  with coconut if you are grinding the coconut into paste. It will help the coconut to be paste consistency and helps the kheer to thickens. You can also clean the jaggery by boiling jaggery with little water and when it dissolve sieve the jaggery in a siever. It helps to take away the dirt from the jaggery.

Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 6