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|
 Bengali Kheer flavoured withPalmyra fruit | |
| Alternative names | Meowa, Kheersha |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Bengal |
| Region or state | Bangladesh,West Bengal |
| Associatedcuisine | Bengal |
| Serving temperature | Room Temperature |
| Main ingredients | Cow's milk |
| Similar dishes | Khoa |
Kheer orMeoa (Bengali:ক্ষীর) is a sweet from theBengal region of theIndian subcontinent.[1] It is not only a sweet by itself, but it is also used as the main ingredient of many other sweets. InNorth India,Kheer (Payesam) is a type of rice pudding. But inBengal, in the same spelling and sound, Kheer is a completely different dish. It is very similar to theKhoa but with its own distinct flavor and texture.Kheer, a type ofevaporated milk, is primarily made using cow or buffalomilk. The process involves boiling pure milk for an extended period, typically over an hour, to reduce it to one-third of its original volume. This concentrated form of milk is known as Kheer. Sometimes, ingredients like sugar,arrowroot, or Suji (semolina) are added during boiling to enhance sweetness and create a different flavor profile. However, the traditional version of Kheer, without these additions, is known for its authentic and distinct taste.
To prepare Kheer (evaporated milk), cow orbuffalo milk is the key ingredient. Pure milk is boiled for over an hour to make one-third of its original volume. This is Kheer. Sometimes to make a more sweet and different tastesugar,Arrowroot,Suji are mixed with it during boiling, but the taste of the unadulterated version is very different and tastes more authentic.[1]
To makeKhoa, the boiling process is extended to reduce the original volume to a fourth or fifth. Khoa is harder than Kheer. This hardness makes a difference to the taste and is the difference between Khoa (milk solids) and Kheer (evaporated milk).[1]
As inBengal, kheer is one of the most important ingredients for makingsweets and therefore has a high demand in the market. In terms of hardness, it can be categorized in two forms:
Khoa is used to make someBengali sweets likekansat.
Kheer is used forRosmalai like sweets, where small balls ofchhena are immersed in kheer.
Abanindranath Tagore wrote a story of two queens of a King, titled asKheer er putul,[2] meansa doll made with kheer. In this story, one queen made her virtual son with Kheer and sent for marriage. SomehowShathi Thakur (aGoddess) ate it but was captured as she stole this doll, and in reply she gave a son to that queen.[3]
There is aBengaliidioms circulated in Bengal i.e.
SOBURE MEOWA FOLE
InBengali: সবুরে মেওয়া ফলে
Meansif you keep yourpatience in your work then you must see the success, as after devoting over an hour to boil milk to make delicious kheer. Thisidiom is customary toBengali people and is used very often to advise someone.
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