Yogesh Deshpande is the Pastry Chef of the Park Hyatt Goa, India, where he’s worked for the last twelve years after training in Mumbay and working on a luxury cruise line in the UK. I meet him one day while he’s serving some delicious smelling Kheer, an Indian rice pudding with cardamom, during the lunch buffet.
The smell of sweet spices is so intense that I can’t help but ask if that’s a dessert I can have… even if I still haven’t started my meal yet.
“Unfortunately, I made this with dairy Ma’am. But I can make one for you tomorrow with coconut milk instead of regular milk!”
Every single day Chef Yogesh intrigues me with his amazing Indian sweets, remade in compliance with my food allergies: from “Jaggery”, a grain free treat made from the sap of coconut and date palm, to “Sannas”, spongy steamed rice cakes that I love to enjoy with fresh mango.
You dream about any possible replacement to fulfill your foodie dreams? He finds a way to make them a reality. And of course “Kheer”, the original name for this Indian rice pudding with cardamom, was first up on my wish list.
Last time I had it, it was a few years ago in New York City, in an amazing Indian restaurant in Gramercy called Devi’s that’s now closed. It was so good that I have been dreaming to have this delicious Indian rice pudding without milk ever since. And finally, the Park Hyatt Chef was able to deliver the most perfect version of that fantasy.
Indian Rice Pudding With Cardamom From the Chef At Park Hyatt Goa (GF & DF)
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 400 ml Coconut Milk
- 250 ml Coconut Water
- 60 gr Coconut Sugar
- 1 whole Cinnamon Stick
- 5 gr Cardamom Powder
- 50 gr Almonds (sliced)
- 50 gr Pistachios (sliced)
- 100 gr Basmati Rice
Instructions
- Wash the rice and soak it in fresh water for about 20 minutes
- Drain the rice and place it in a double bottom pan, together with the coconut water and cinnamon stick and cook it on a low flame.
- When the rice is almost cooked, add in coconut milk, sliced almonds and pistachios.
- When the rice is well cooked add in coconut sugar and cardamom.
- You can either serve this Indian rice pudding with cardamom hot or cold.
- Category: Starter
- Cuisine: Indian
Now that you read how easy this recipe is, make yourself a favor a start soaking some rice. You could literally be enjoying a warm bowl of Kheer pudding in less than an hour!!
Did I convince you? ;) Let me know in a comment below and don’t forget to PIN!!
Ciao and I will catch you next time!!
Ambra
