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Kheer (Sanskrit: क्षीर/ksheer, Urdu: کھیر/kheer, Hindi: खीर/kheer, Oriya: kheeri, Tamil: payasam), a traditional dessert in the Indian subcontinent, usually a rice pudding made by boiling rice with milk and sugar. It is often flavored with cardamoms, saffron, pistachios or almonds that have been soaked overnight and made into fine paste. Kheers are also made with grains other than rice, and barley kheer is a common variant in Northern India and Pakistan.
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Origin
Both the terms Kheer (used in Northern India, Pakistan and Nepal) and Payasam (used in Southern India) are derived from Sanskrit, from the words Ksheer (which means milk) and Peeyusham (which means nectar) respectively.
It is an essential dish in many Hindu and Muslim feasts and celebrations. While the dish is most often made with rice, it can also be made with other ingredients such as vermicelli (sayviah). The recipe for the popular English rice pudding was derived from kheer during the British Raj.{"Eastern Aromas". As Promised! Kheer (2008-04-30). Retrieved on 2008-05-30. Ultimately, kheer can be traced back to an ancient dish from Puri.
East Indian version
The east Indian version of rice kheer likely originated in the temple city of Puri, in Orissa about two thousand years ago. It is cooked to this day within the Jagannath temple precincts there. Every single day, hundreds of temple cooks work around 752 hearths in what is supposed to be the world's largest kitchen (over 2500 sq ft) to cook over 100 different dishes, including kheer, enough to feed at least 10,000 people.
Traditionally the Oriya version of kheer is speckled with fried cashews and raisins and served in most festive occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, and religious festivals. Although white sugar is most commonly used, adding gur (syrup) made of dates as the sweetener is an interesting variation that is also relished in Orissa.
In Nepal, on the fourth month of the solar calendar, it is a tradition to eat Kheer. The dish is also consumed at Muslim weddings and prepared on the feasts of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha.
A similar dessert, variously called firni, phirni or phirnee, is eaten in North India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Today, restaurants offer firni in a wide range of flavours including mango, fig, custard apple, etc.
South Indian version
The south Indian version, payasam (pronounced [paːjasam], Kannada: Payasa) is an integral part of traditional South Indian culture. In payasam, coconut milk is routinely used instead of milk.
The Hyderabadi version is called as Gil e firdaus, and is quite popular.
Payasam is served as an offering to the gods in south Indian Hindu temples during rituals and ceremonies. In the southern Indian state of Kerala, people have a particular affinity towards this dish. The payasams served in the temples of Guruvayoor and Ambalappuzha are renowned all over the region. The dish is also a must-have in all wedding feasts. Sometimes, the payasam is mixed with banana, sweet boondi or papadum before eating.
See also
- Ambalappuzha for the mythological legend associated with payasam.
External links
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 13 October 2008, at 02:19.
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