Puranachi Kheer (Dal Kheer)

Name: Puranachi Kheer
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: ½ cup (100 g) chana dal (Bengal gram lentils), washed; 1 litre (4 cups) full-fat milk; ¾ cup (120 g) dark jaggery, grated (or sugar if preferred); 1 tsp ghee; 1 tsp cardamom powder (6 pods); ¼ tsp nutmeg powder; 2 tbsp cashews, halved and fried in ghee; 2 tbsp pistachios, slivered; 15 saffron strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk; Cook the dal until very soft — under-cooked dal gives an unpleasant grainy texture; Add jaggery only on low heat to prevent curdling; A spoon of ghee stirred in at the end adds lustre and richness; Jaggery version has more depth than sugar version; Kolhapuri jaggery especially

🟢 Veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

A luxurious kheer made with chana dal (split Bengal gram) cooked tender, mashed and simmered in full-fat milk with jaggery and the warm fragrance of cardamom and nutmeg — essentially the flavours of puran poli filling dissolved into a creamy pudding. A distinctly Maharashtrian festive dessert, richer and more substantial than rice or vermicelli kheer.

⏱️15 minPrep

🔥50 minCook

🕒65 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Puranachi Kheer

Pressure cook chana dal with 1½ cups water over high heat for 3 whistles (15 minutes).
Dal should be completely soft — mashable between fingers with no resistance.
Drain any excess water.
Mash the dal well — not completely smooth, some texture is desirable.
Set aside.
Bring 1 litre milk to a boil in a heavy pan over high heat.
Reduce to low-medium heat.
Simmer, stirring every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes until milk reduces to about ¾ of original volume and thickens slightly.
Add the mashed chana dal to the reduced milk.
Stir well over low-medium heat for 10 minutes — the dal will dissolve into the milk, thickening it further and giving it a slightly grainy, creamy texture.
Add grated jaggery (or sugar).
Stir over low heat for 5 minutes until jaggery fully dissolves. *Do not boil vigorously after adding jaggery — it can cause milk to curdle slightly; keep on low heat.* Add saffron milk, cardamom, nutmeg and ghee.
Stir.
Fold in fried cashews.
Serve warm in katoris, garnished with pistachio slivers and a saffron strand.
Can also be served chilled — it thickens considerably when cold, more like a pudding.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 340 kcal | 14 g | 52 g | 9 g | 4 g | Served as a Sunday special dessert in traditional Maharashtrian homes and at festivals when plain kheer seems insufficient. The flavour profile mirrors puran poli (the iconic sweet flatbread), making it a dessert for those who love the filling more than the bread. Commonly made on Holi and Ganesh Chaturthi as an additional sweet alongside modak. The high protein content from chana dal makes it a preferred dessert for growing children in traditional households. ---

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