During the season of holidays and festivals, kheer made from sabudana or makhana is often prepared for offerings to goddesses. However, if you want to try something new, delicious, and tender, you can prepare a sweet and creamy apple kheer using fresh apples you have at home. The natural sweetness of apples, cream from full-fat milk, and the aromatic touch of saffron and cardamom make this kheer special.
People often complain that milk curdles when apples are added, but if you prepare the apples in a special way and then mix them with milk, the kheer will have an ideally creamy and fibrous consistency. We present the simplest instructions for its preparation!
How to Make Apple Kheer
To begin, bring 1 liter of whole milk to a boil in a thick-bottomed saucepan. After boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the milk for 15–20 minutes until it thickens and reduces to three-quarters of its original volume. Then, add the saffron solution and cardamom powder to the milk.
In another frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add grated apples and sugar and sauté over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until the apple juice evaporates and the apples become soft and translucent. Cooking the apples with sugar eliminates their acidity, preventing the milk from curdling.
After the apple mixture has completely cooled, gently warm or chill the thickened milk. Then, add the prepared apples to the cooled/warm milk and mix thoroughly. Next, fold in chopped cashews, almonds, and pistachios. Refrigerate the kheer for 1–2 hours.
The finished cold and tender apple kheer is ready. It can be served to the goddess during Navratri or enjoyed as part of a vegetarian diet.