Makhana Kheer (Phool Makhane ki Kheer)

Makhane ki Kheer or Phool Makhana Kheer is a creamy kheer / Indian pudding dessert made with makhana / fox nuts, milk, saffron, cardamom and nuts. 

Makhana kheer is a very traditional and popular North Indian dessert recipe. This delicious dessert is usually served during the Indian festival season, when many people fast and restrict certain things like rice and other grains from their diet. This Makhana is a great alternative to rice or vermicelli when making kheer.

Of course, one does not have to wait for a festival or religious Hindu fasting days (Vrat days)  or any special occasions to make and enjoy this delicious makhana kheer. This is so easy to make that you can make it as a dessert for any weeknights or when you are entertaining on weekends.

What is Makhana?

Makhana or fox nuts are edible puffed seeds of the water lily plant. They are also called lotus seeds, but technically they are not seeds of the lotus plant.

They are loaded with many nutrients and are a great source of protein, fiber and many minerals and vitamins like manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorus, Vitamin A and many more.

Roasted makhana tossed with salt and some masala is a very popular healthy snack in India. It is a great substitute for popcorn.

This Makhana Kheer is

• Creamy and delicious
• Quick and easy to make
• Can be made vegan if needed
• Has the added nutrition of the fox nuts
• Is ready in under 30 mins
• Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled

This phool makhana kheer is a great way to consume this nutritious ingredient and is especially a great dessert to feed your kiddos. They get to eat a dessert while good things are going into their bodies. It’s a win-win for all.

More kheer recipes can be found here

Ingredients

Makhana Kheer uses simple ingredients that are already in your kitchen and pantry except for the main ingredient, Makhana. You can easily buy this at any South Asian / Indian grocery store near you or order it online.

Makhana – makhana are round puffed balls, that are the puffed seeds of water lily. They are also called puffed lotus seeds, fox nuts or phool makhana. Use fresh non-roasted and unflavored makhana, they will have a rancid smell if they are not fresh. You can use whole makhana or a combo of whole makhana and some makhana in a coarse powder form to add more creaminess to the kheer.

Milk – use whole milk or full fat milk for a creamy dessert. To make this dairy free or vegan, use any other dairy free milk like oat milk, coconut milk or almond milk. Use unsweetened plain variety.

Sugar – use regular granulated sugar for this kheer recipe. It can also be substituted with equal amounts of palm sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar or jaggery. If using condensed milk, use equal amounts of condensed milk as sugar and reduce the milk by that amount.

Nuts – I love to add ghee roasted nuts to this kheer. It loads it up with so much more nutrients and taste. I generally use cashews, almonds and pistachios. But you can use any nuts like walnuts, pecans, or even sunflower seeds or pepitas. Make sure they are unsalted.

Ghee – ghee adds so much flavor and richness to this kheer. If making it vegan, then use coconut oil or any neutral oil in place of ghee.

Aromatics – green cardamom and saffron are used to add aroma and flavor in this kheer. Ground green cardamom is preferred instead of whole cardamom pod or just the seeds. If making cardamom powder at home, then add a few cardamom pods to a teaspoon of sugar and grind in a mini blender or spice grinder to make a fine powder.

Rose water or Kewra essence can also be used to flavor the makhana kheer.

Method

Step by step method with photos is given below to help make your cooking this phool makhana kheer recipe easy. You can skip to the recipe card if you just need to read the recipe.

• In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat some ghee and add the nuts. Toast the nuts till they are golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
• Add a little more ghee and toast the makhana in the same pan. Roast on low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Keep moving them around with a spatula so that they don’t get burnt.
• At this stage, if you want, you can take some of the makhana from the pan and keep aside. Crush this to a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or in a small blender jar. Add this back to the pan.

• Once the makhana is roasted, add the milk to the pan. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat and then lower the heat to a low or medium-low heat and let it simmer. Keep stirring the milk frequently to avoid the milk from getting scorched.
• Add the ground makhana to this, if you kept some aside earlier.
• Add the ground cardamom and sugar and let the sugar melt into the kheer.
• Mix in the saffron strands as well.

• Let it all simmer for a couple more minutes. Don’t let the milk simmer for too long and get too thick, especially if you have added the crushed makhana to this. The makhana will absorb the liquid over time and the kheer might get too thick.
• Add the roasted nuts back to the pan once the kheer is almost done. Serve immediately so the nuts are still crispy.

Recipe tips

• To make a creamy kheer, take some makhana aside after roasting it and crush it to a coarse powder. Add this powdered makhana back to the pan to the milk and the whole makhana.
• When the kheer is simmering,keep stirring the milk frequently to avoid the milk from getting burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pan. Using a heavy bottom pan will help with this but do not skip on the stirring.
• Don’t let the milk simmer for too long and get too thick, especially if you have added the crushed makhana to this. The makhana will absorb the liquid over time and the kheer might get too thick.
• If you like the roasted nuts to remain crispy while you eat the kheer, do not add them to the kheer while making the kheer. Save them and add them to your bowl when you serve the kheer. 

To serve and store kheer

To serve – This delicious kheer can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. Top with more roasted nuts and some dried rose petals for some extra garnish.

To store this kheer, use an airtight container, preferably a glass one and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove top or microwave before serving. If this is made for a fasting day like for Navratri vrat, then it is usually made and consumed on the same day and not refrigerated.

If you have a sweet tooth like me, more Indian desserts, sweet recipes and other festival recipes that are popular for navratri fasting or festivals like Ganesh chaturthi and Diwali can be found in Diwali Recipes and Navratri Recipes pages.

📖 Recipe