Madhuram's EgglessCooking.com | Eggless Recipes | Egg Free Baking

Basic Payasam & Kheer Recipe 1. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes. If using a pressure cooker, drop the pumpkin cubes and add water just to cover it and leave it for 1 whistle and switch off the stove. Once the pressure releases, take out the pumpkin, remove the skin (it will peel off easily) and blend it smooth in a blender. Alternatively, you can also peel the skin and then pressure cook it. The pumpkins can also be cooked in a microwave oven. Remove the skin and grate the pumpkin, place it in a microwave safe bowl with little water, cook it for 5-6 minutes and then blend it.

2. Meanwhile in a saucepan bring the milk to a boil.

3. Add the pumpkin puree to the milk and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

4. Switch of the stove and add the sugar. The sugar will melt in the heat itself.

Kheer Recipe:

You can also do the following. This gives a badam kheer taste, which we all love and I always prepare the kheer like this.

1. Soak the almonds overnight, so that removing the skin will be easy the next morning. If your are using blanched almonds, soaking is not necessary. Cook the almonds with the pumpkin and blend it together.

2. In the 3rd step above, also add the MTR Badam Feast to the milk along with the pumpkin puree.

3. In a small frying pan add the ghee and once it heats fry the cashews and add it at the end after adding the sugar. If you wish to add saffron strands, in a small cup add 2-3 tablespoons of the boiling milk and put the saffron in it and leave it for a while. At the end the saffron strands, cardamom powder can also be added.

My Notes 1. Sometime back I tried this recipe with the canned pumpkin puree. I don’t know for what reason, but the milk curdled once I added the puree. But recently I tried a pumpkin milkshake with the canned puree and it tasted awesome. Simply blend a couple of tablespoons of the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated and/or regular milk (preferably whole or 2%), sugar (according to your taste) and optional flavorings like saffron strands and cardamom powder. Note one thing though, canned pumpkin puree has a strong smell, which I’m not a fan in particular. So I used only little puree. The pumpkin puree which we prepare right from scratch does not have that smell at all.