Bottle Gourd and Moong Dal Payasam/Kheer

Today, I got some very fresh and tender bottle gourds from the local superstore. I was planning to make kootu for lunch. As today is Karwa Chauth, I changed my plans. So my bottle gourd converted from kootu to kheer. Twisty, huh?

Ingredients:
Bottle gourd - 1 (medium)
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Milk - 2 1/4 cups
Sugar - 1 cup (or as per taste)
Sweetened condensed milk - 1 cup (or as per taste)
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp.
Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp.
Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cashew nuts - 10
Ghee - 2 tsp.

Method:
Peel and grate the bottle gourd.
Heat 1 tsp. of ghee in a pan and saute the grated bottle gourd for 2 to 3 minutes.
Now pour 2.25 cups of milk. Cook the bottle gourd.
Meanwhile cook the moong dal. Cool and grind them.
Add this to the bottle gourd and stir.
Now add the sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves.
Dry roast the poppy seeds till golden color. Grind the poppy and grated coconut with little water into paste.
Now add this paste to the kheer. Cook for 2 minutes.
Pour the condensed milk and stir. Sprinkle the cardamom powder.
Fry the cashew nuts in 1 tsp. of ghee. Add this to the kheer.
Enjoy warm or chilled. Slurp!

Note:
Adjust the sugar and condensed milk according to the size of the bottle gourd.

Sent off to "CWS-Poppy" hosted by Cook Like A Bong and started by Priya.

Posted in: Dessert, Sweet, Veg