Kheer Komla (Indian Dessert)

This recipe was kindly submitted for Cook the Commonwealth by Mohua, who lives and works in Birmingham. She is a native of West Bengal, India, and her parents and extended family still live there. This recipe has been passed onto her as a tradition - she learnt this recipe from my mother, who in turn learnt it from her widowed paternal aunt who used to live with them. It is said that a would-be groom from England went for match making in India and went to see her maternal auntie. He was served this delicacy with a light meal. It is said that before he left the house, he told the would-be bride to learn the recipe from her aunt. The household rejoiced as apparently it was a sign of acceptance of the matrimonial alliance. Try this traditional family dessert recipe today!

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Take a thick bottom pan , add the milk and bring it to boil

Step 2

Turn the gas to low heat and let the milk evaporate and occasionally stir to avoid milk sticking to the bottom

Step 3

When the milk quantity halves, add the evaporated milk and continue to stir. This may take approximately 1 hour (depending on the size of the pan).

Step 4

Reduce the total quantity to one third on a low heat and occasionally stir. Take care not to let the milk stick to the bottom (again this may take approximately 1 hour)

Step 5

Add the sugar or palm jaggery (jaggery tastes better and the original recipe calls for this). Mix well until the sugar/jaggery melts. Turn the gas off

Step 6

Cool it down and put in fridge to chill for at least 1 hour

Step 7

Peel the clementine and gently take off the fibre . Cut each segment into 2 halves by making a slit and take the juicy bits out and keep to one side

Step 8

Serve the kheer (condensed milk) into small glass dessert bowls and sprinkle the crushed cardamom (do not include the pods)

Step 9

Add the clementine pieces (prepared earlier) into the kheer and gently coat them with kheer (do not add clementines in hot kheer as it may curdle)

Step 10

Serve chilled with some dried rose petals and the pods of the cardamom (optional decoration)