Gil-e-Firdaus

A simple recipe made with very simple ingredients. For the first time when I had it at a wedding function, I could not even guess that this dessert had bottle gourd in it. This dessert is quite medley of kaddu ki aur chawal ki kheer. Gil-e-Firdaus is must in most of the Hyderabad wedding functions and also during family celebrations.

As I told you this is a heavenly dessert…..which is mostly served chilled….The fragrant basmati rice when cooked with mildly tasting bottle gourd along with beautiful sago, creamy almond paste and thick condensed milk…..this dessert when hits your taste buds….I am sure you will experience gastronomic orgasm…Over to the recipe which will make you feel rich and royal with every spoon….

Gil-e-Firdaus

• ½ lit. Milk
• ¾ cup grated Bottle gourd
• 3 tbsp. Sago/Sabudana
• ½ cup Basmati Rice
• 3 tbsp. Almond paste, Check ‘Notes’
• ¼ tbsp. Cardamom powder
• Few strands Saffron
• ½ tbsp. Green food color
• 1 tbsp. Vanilla essence
• ½ can Condensed Milk, I used Nestle brand of 400gms
• ½ tbsp. silvered Almonds
• 2 tbsp. Ghee
• 1½ cups Water
• 1 Silver Varq/leaf

• Wash and soak sago for 1 hour.
• Wash basmati rice with clean water and pat to dry. Spread rice clean muslin cloth for 30-40 minutes under fan. Grind to coarse paste.
• In a heavy bottom cooking vessel, add ghee and fry slivered almonds. Once they turn light golden using a slotted spoon remove the almonds on to kitchen tissue and set aside.
• In the same ghee add grated bottle gourd and on medium flame fry for 2-3 minutes by turning up and down.
• Now add half of milk and 1½ cups of water to bottle gourd. Cook until bottle gourd is soft.
• In another thick bottom vessel add remaining milk and cook coarsely ground rice along with sago till done. Take care not to burn this mixture.
• Now add condensed milk, cardamom powder, almond paste, vanilla essence and give the mixture good stir. Add above boiled milk and bottle gourd mixture. Stir gently.
• Cook on low flame and stir until everything combines together. Now add green food color and stir.
• Cook till you get kheer consistency. If the mixture is getting too thick, then you can add ½ cup milk.
• Garnish with golden fried slivered almonds and edible silver leaf. Taste best when served chilled.
• Add love to make this dessert taste ‘Yummy’.

NOTES:

• You can skip condensed milk and use sugar too.
• You can even use cashew nut paste instead of almond paste.

ALMOND PASTE:

• Soak 10-12 almonds in lukewarm water for one hour and gently peel the skin off.
• Add these to coffee grinder and grind to smooth paste by adding 1-2 tbsp. of water/milk.