Slow Cooker Pista Kheer

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One of the items at the top of my  to buy list for my kitchen was a slow cooker for quite a long while.I was fascinated by the concept of a slow cooker couldn't wait to get it. Finally during the latter part of last summer I made the move, researched rival products and purchased my slow cooker.

I was so excited about it, the first thing I made with it was this paal payasam (milk pudding) and it turned out fantastic.Unlike making payasam on the stove top, the slow cooker requires almost no baby sitting to complete it. You do not have to worry about milk either sticking or burning, you just switch it on and and the end of the time voila, payasam ready :-)

Since the first time, mostly my slow cooker gets used for savory dishes like choley, rajmah and dal makhni. But last week I had another opportunity to make dessert and I settled on pista kheer. Since I was cooking many other items simultaneously, I decided to use the slow cooker. The kheer got ready in four hours, but four hours that I was able to use going about my business. I went for a walk, got the entire dinner ready and completed quite a few of my other errands, at the end of that time I got this kheer as my reward ! Cool huh ? and the best part was.....the kheer tasted awesome....I love when gadgets make my life easier, don't you?



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Ingredients and Method to make Slow cooker pista kheer

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups half & half
3 cups whole milk
2 pinches good quality saffron (kumkuma poo)
1/3 cup plain pistachios (pista)
5 green cardamom seeds

Place condensed milk, half & half, milk and saffron in a slow cooker and set on high heat to cook for 4 hours.

Soak the pistachios in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder powder the pistachios coarsely, I used mortar and pestle.

Powder cardamom seeds until fine.

Add pistachios and cardamom seed powder to the kheer about halfway into the cooking time, mix well and allow the mixture to cook for the balance of time.

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Remove cool to room temperature, then refrigerate and serve this chilled.

Serves approximately 2 to 3

Notes
If you want to make this on the stove top, place the ingredients as mentioned in step one in a large heavy bottomed pan and allow to simmer, stirring continuously until the mixture begins to reduce and thicken to about 3/4 of original quantity.

Add pistachios and cardamom seed powder and allow to simmer a little longer stirring continuously on low heat until the mixture becomes 1/2 its original quantity.

If you do not have half & half and want to use milk instead you can do that, only you will have to set the slow cooker to cook on high for 5 to 6 hours instead of 4

Or if you are making it on the stove top with milk entirely instead of half & half and milk, you would have to simmer the mixture longer and stir it frequently as mentioned above.