Carrot Kheer : Purple Carrots Makes Brown Kheer

My Amma loves carrots, she likes them fresh and will chew on them like a bunny for her mid morning snack. When she has to make a payasam or kheer she would always opt for carrot kheer. When we question her choice, she would promptly let us know that it was good for health. Since its mothers day this weekend, I thought it would be nice to post something she enjoys. 

We bought a bunch of purple carrots at the farmers market last week. My original plan was to make a salad, but since I did not get to it earlier, I had to cook with it. I decided to make carrot kheer and in the corner of my mind feared that it might show up purple. Mentally, I was not ready to drink a purple kheer.  In spite of my nervousness, I went with the whole process of making the kheer. Guess what showed up? Some cooked carrots swimming in purple liquid. It reminded me of the water that my daughter leaves in a  bowl after painting. YUCK! I was totally not ready to use it. But curiosity got the better of me, I continued to work with it. I wanted to make sure if the kheer was purple, before I decide to dump the whole thing. When I pureed the carrots, to my surprise, I found a brown puree, almost like a regular payasam made out of jaggery. With great relief, I completed the cheer.

My daughter and I spent an afternoon at the ceramic cafe. She wanted me to paint the heart plate for her. Happy Mother's Day!

Gadgets:

Blender

Pressure Pan

Bowl

Measuring Cups and Bowls

Ingredients:

Carrots - 3 cups chopped

Water - 1 cup

Milk - 4 cups

Sugar - 3/4 - 1 cup or more as per taste

Cardamom - 5 pods

Cashew Nuts / Almonds - 1/2 cup

Saffron - a pinch

Preparation:

1. Peel the carrots and pressure cook with water, 1/2 cup milk and cashew nuts to 2 whistles.

2. Cool and puree the carrots along with cardamom. 

4. Transfer the puree to the pressure pan, add milk, sugar and saffron. Serve them warm or cold. Personally, I like them chilled.