Serve up bowls of gluten free amaranth dessert for this festive season. This easy to prepare Indian dessert, rajgira kheer is a vrat friendly recipe with diabetic friendly sweetening options.
It doesn’t matter how you celebrate Navrathri. It can be with dancing to the dandia or Gharba. It can be visiting the golu and enjoying some carnatic music, it can be to the energy driven durga puja, irrespective of how you celebrate it always needs something sweet to culminate the festival. This year, try out this easy vrat recipe, rajgira kheer. This is made with amaranth seeds cooked and thickened in milk.
What is rajgira?
Amaranth grain or ragira are the seeds of the Amaranthus plant.Also called amaranth millet (misnomer) or ramdhana this pseudo cereal is a powder packed superseed. Often used in religious fasting in India, rajgira is rich in fibre and protein and great to be used on a regular basis. This gluten free grain ranges in colour from a pale brown to deep reddish brown. The seeds are gluten free that makes it valuable. The whole seeds when cooked have a pop like a bubble to them. These can also be puffed and powdered to make various recipes. As for indian recipes, you can make parathas, tikkis, kheer, salad, ladoo and chikki with it. You can also make cakes, bread, porridge etc with it.
Ingredients to make this rajgira kheer
Rajgira seeds : in this recipe I have use the yellow whole seeds to make this kheer. They are bought at the Indian grocery, washed and dried before storing. There is no need to crush or powder the seeds to use in this kheer.
Milk: whole milk is perfect for this recipe. This is slow boiled and reduced as the seeds cook. However, if you prefer a thicker kheer, start with evaporated milk.
Sugar: as a sweetner for this kheer, sugar is what is used. If you prefer jaggery, stir in the jaggery after you remove the kheer from heat. This will ensure the milk doesn’t split. Instead of sugar we make this recipe with stevia or sugar free too making it diabetic friendly.
Flavourants: just like any other kheer, elaichi (cardamom) and kesar (saffron) flavour this dessert. You can include grated nutmeg too if you like.
Nuts and seeds: crushed almonds, cashews and pistachios go well with any kheer. You can use one or all. You can also toast melon seeds (charmagaz), chironhi (cudappah almonds) to add to this recipe.
Sugar: as a sweetner for this kheer, sugar is what is used. If you prefer jaggery, stir in the jaggery after you remove the kheer from heat. This will ensure the milk doesn’t split. Instead of sugar we make this recipe with stevia or sugar free too making it diabetic friendly.
Flavourants: just like any other kheer, elaichi (cardamom) and kesar (saffron) flavour this dessert. You can include grated nutmeg too if you like.
Nuts and seeds: crushed almonds, cashews and pistachios go well with any kheer. You can use one or all. You can also toast melon seeds (charmagaz), chironhi (cudappah almonds) to add to this recipe.
Let’s make this easy Indian dessert
This is a straightforward kheer recipe with boiled milk and nuts added to the final product.
- Toasting the rajgira : though tiny the rajgira seeds pop well when toasted. The popped seeds are tastier in a kheer. Into the pan add the rajgira and place on a low heat. Keep mixing it around till you hear tiny raindrizzle like pops. The rajgira seeds are ready.
- Cooking the rajgira: into the pan now add the milk and bring it to a slow boil. Stir occasionally to ensure it doesn’t catch the bottom. The rajgira turn a but glossy when cooked. At this stage add the sugar.
- Sweetening the kheer: if using sugr it can be directly added to the boiling kheer. The liquid content will increase with the sugar melting into it and thin the preparation. Continue slow cooking till the kheer reaches the desired consistency.
- Flavoring the kheer: once the kheer is in a pouring stage, add the crushed cardamom and saffron to it. And stir well.
- Adding the nuts: crush or pound the nuts and seeds and add to the mix as well. Once these are added you can remove the kheer from heat and it is ready to be served warm. Cool and chill if you prefer the chilled kheer as it is equally tasty.
Can we make this recipe with rajgira flour?
You can make a porridge style kheer with rajgira flour. However it will lack the bite that the whole seed will give. Also the flour will cook much faster and thicker. Hence reduce the milk first and then stir in small quantities of the flour to thicken the kheer. Allow a runny consistency as it will thicken upon sitting.
Can we make this recipe vegan?
It is easy to make this recipe vegan. I prefer to use coconut milk for the vegan version. Use the thinned out milk to cook the seeds and then stir in the thick extract jus before removing from heat, similar to the aval payasam we make. However, the rajgira is going to take longer to cook than the rice flakes.
Rajgira Kheer
Serve up bowls of gluten free amaranth dessert for this festive season. This easy to prepare Indian dessert, rajgira kheer is a vrat friendly recipe with diabetic friendly sweetening options.
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Amaranth seeds (rajgira, dhandtina akki, thenai)
- 3 cups milk
- 4 tbsp sugar or jaggery or stevia to taste
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 3-4 strands saffron
- 1/4 cup Assorted nuts crushed
Instructions
- On a thick bottomed pan dry roast the amaranth seeds till they pop. Keep the heat medium as they burn easily as well.
- To this popped amaranth add the milk and simmer till the amaranth cooks.
- Stir occasionally so that it won't catch the bottom
- Once cooked the seeds turn translucent, add the sugar and mix well..
- Keep cooking , to reduce the liquids to a pouring consistency.
- Stir in the crushed cardamom, saffron and mix well.
- Add the nuts and remove from heat.
- mix well and the kheer is ready to be served.
Notes
The amaranth seeds are really tiny, so burn fast. Keep a real good eye on it all along. The addition of saffron is optional. You can change the nuts to the ones available for you or even go nut free.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
More kheer varieties of this vrat season
During the Navrathri fasting most of the regular food grains like rice and wheat are avoided. Here are a few traditional Indian dessert recipes that are perfect for this religious fasting.
Stay connected
Rajgira kheer is a fairly straightforward kheer recipe that is also fun for the palate. The texture of the cooked rajgira is bubbly with a crunch and pop. Hope you would give this recipe a go and let us know if you liked it in comments. Stay on with us by subcribing for more this festive season as we bring out our best in recipes and variety.
See you in the next post.
Happy Navrathri !
Love all sorts of kheer. I haven’t tried this particular one, it looks delicious 🙂
I love rajgira ke ladoo but never tried in kheer, looks so delicious and straight forward recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I love the taste of rajgira combined with jaggery. I make the laddoos frequently. Your home grown rajgira must be so special and delicious!
Wow this rajgira kheer looks awesome. The best I came up was to crush the rajgira ladoo;) . Guess what ingredients I will be looking out for?
I am yet to try this, it looks delicious and super healthy too. Actually, I want to look out for amaranth seed here.
Hope you fins some rajgira seeds Jayashree. When you do try let us know your experience.
I have lactose intolerance, can i use coconut milk instead of regular milk? Pls suggest….
Hi Chandra,
The recipe will work perfectly with coconut milk. To cook the rajgira use 1.5 cups of diluted coconut milk ( if canned ) or the second thinned out coconut milk. When the rajgira is cooked, add the jaggery, cardamom powder and the thicker coconut milk and remove from heat. Stir well and enjoy
Rajgira chikkis are my favorite,but never even struck me to make kheer with rajgira. Definitely an awesome and healthy Neivediyam for Navratri..
i am glad you already have rajgira with you to make the chikkis. So this will be such an easy branch off to try.
Rajgira laddu n chikkis are a rage here. Must source this ingredient to make this delish and crowd pleaser kheer
oh is it! i am sure you will get rajgira easily in Indian markets. the kheer is he easiest way to consume them.
Seema, like how you have popped the amaranth seeds before making the kheer. I usually don’t which means it takes forever to cook them. Will have to try you way of making rajgira kheer.
Mayuri, that is the whole idea as it will cut down the cooking time a lot. Also the fragrance of he popped ones are so much nicer.
You know what? I have two bags of popped rajgira, and I can make some kheer right now. It sounds delicious, easy, and, of course, healthy.
That’s perfect. Do let me know how the trials go. I haven’t used store bought popped amaranth, so will be an interesting try.
It has been nearly a week since I first popped/puffed some rajgira. My first attempt was a disaster, the temperature was very high, as you rightly mentioned so. The second attempt was pure bliss. The puffed up rajgira tasted so good. I wish I had known then that one could make porridge from rajgira seeds. Will try it during one of these Navratri days.