Celebrating awards with GURER PAYESH ( Kheer with palm jaggery)

About a year back, I didn't have any idea what a food blog is, as I was out of this e-world for some time. I always wanted to make my own recipe site, I had no idea it has become so easy to make a site. About 9 months back, I stumbled upon Sandeepa's blog(Bong mom's cookbook) while searching for some bengali recipe. Then I have created my own food blog about 8 months ago. She is the inspiration for this blog and about 3 months back, I get to know LG of Taste of Mysore through some event and after that she was a regular visitor of my blog always inspired me with her beautiful comments. Now she has showered me with so many awards that I have become speechless and I thank her from bottom of my heart. At this occassion, I want to thank also to all my visitors and fellow bloggers who came by and left such nice comments. It means a lot to me...so keep inspiring me.........

To celebrate this lovely occassion, I want to offer a spoon of bengali Khejur Gur'er Payesh or rice pudding or kheer with date palm jaggery to all my visitors and fellow bloggers. Khejur gur is a alsolute favorite to all bengalis and it is only available during winter months. It is available in two forms. Liquid khejur gur( made from boiling the sap from date palms) is so delicious and my all time favorite. I can have my rotis or puris with this without any vegetable or dal. I was surprised when I made this kheer and served my two little ones(19 months) and they wanted to have more and more of it even though they were full. Khejur Gur in solid form is sold in the shape of oval discs and is known as "Patali Gur". If you ever get chance, try some sandesh made with this palm jaggery. you'll never forget the taste of it.
One can make kheer or payesh with any forms of khejur gur. I made with the solid form.

Ingredients :
Milk (2%)/whole milk : 11/2 litre
Basmati rice or if available Govindo Bhog(special short grain rice
for making kheer) : 1/2 cup
Date palm Jaggery : 1/2 cup or more (adjust accr. to your taste)
Cardamom : 3-4
Raisins : 1/4 cup (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
Almonds and cashews : 1/2 cup

Method :

• Wash the rice,drain the water and keep it aside.
• Pour milk in a heavy bottomed pan and let it boil. When it starts boiling then add the rice and switch the flame into low .
  
• Stir the milk continuously so milk does not burn or rice stick to the bottom of the pan. Break the cardamoms and add into the milk.
  
• Add the cashews. Check time to time if the rice is done. Rice will be thoroughly cooked and soft. By this time milk will be thickened by half of original volume.
• When the milk has changed to a creamy consistency, but not thick and the rice has become soft, take the payesh off the heat. Let it cool for 3-4 minutes. Break solid jaggery into pieces and add little at a time and stir until it dissolves. Check your sweetness level and then add some more.
  
• Tips : Don't add jaggery when your payesh is on the stove, then it will curdle immediately. Don't make it too cool then it will be hard to make it dissolve.
• Add raisins and decorate with blanched almonds.
• Serve hot or cold, but I like it cold better. Even it tastes better the next day. So try it out and tell me how you've liked it..............................

Here are all my awards :

And last but not the least.............

Thanks, LG........you're very generous and lovely t0 think of me for these awards.

Now I would love to pass these awards to LG of Taste of Mysore, Sandeepa of Bong Mom's cookbook, Uma of Essence of Andhra, Vibaas of Delectable vegetarian recipes, Sowmya of Creative saga, Priya of Priya's easy N tasty recipes, Soma of ecurry.com, Anuvidya of And A little bit more, Pooja of My creative ideas, Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons, Priti of Indian Khana, Priyanka of Asan Khana, Usha of Veg Inspirations, Purnima of fantasy cooking, Sangeeth of Art of cooking Indian food, Rashmi of Delhi belle and all my fellow bloggers............

I am sharing these awards to them who have visited my blog and inspired with their sweet comments and to them whose work inspires me a lot. May be you all have these awards from others but these are from my side..........thanks all of you

LG has also tagged me for these meme :

1) 7 things I say more often :
a) No....no.( to my 2 little ones, who want to touch everything in the house)
b) Thank you ( when they listen to me)
c) Really
d) OK
e) Oh my god
f) oh..oh
g) sure
2) 7 things I did before :
a) Read many books, but now don't get time
b) had wonderful time in schools and colleges
c) Visited wonderful countries like, Germany, Netherland, France, USA, Singapore
d) Got married to a wonderful man
e) Did lots of paintings and sketching
f) Graduated with a degree in Biology
g) learned German
3) 7 things I do now :
a) Growing my 2 little ones
b) whenever get time I'm blogging, I'm addicted to it after getting so many awards
c) Having good as well as some bad times with those 2 naughty sons
d) paint if I get the mood
e) surf in the net in search for good recipes
f) prepare some healthy recipes in my kitchen
g) Do Yoga in hope to loose some fat
4) 7 things I want to do :
a) lose some weight
b) blog more often which I don't get to do
c) want to learn one musical instrument
d) want to built a house with nice garden
e) want to travel more beautiful countries
f) do more shopping and shopping
g) want to start my own business one day
5) 7 things that attracts me about opposite sex
a) honest
b) sincere
c) trustworthy
d) sense of humour
e) caring
f) understanding
g) affectionate
6) Favorite foods
a) in my list, at first all street foods (pani puri, chat, bhel)
b) I like all kinds of sweets, cake
c) I like chinese and mexican food
d) ice cream
e) chocolates
f) any chicken and mutton dishes
g)I love any kind of cookies
h) fried food and the list goes on.............

So enjoy your awards and try this recipe.......Happy Weekend..........