Bengali Taal Kheer recipe with Muri
By Barnali Dutta, published by Prasadam:
This is a very traditional grandmother's special Bengali sweet recipe made with ripened fibrous outer layer of the toddy palm fruit. One of the most desirable sweet in Bengal during monsoon season to celebrate Janmastami, Rakhi purnima, and Jhulan Yatra. In Bengal the fruit pulp is taken as laxative. It is full of minerals. Almost no protein, fat, carbohydrates and is a boon for people on a diet. The ripened toddy Palmyra pulp help speed up bowel movement, an indigenous remedy, which can act as a magic for bowel obstructions. The fresh pulp is rich in vitamin A and C. The fruit per 100g contains 43 calories, 87.6g water, 0.8g protein, 0.1g fat, 10.9g total carbohydrate, 2.0g fiber, 0.6g ash, 27 mg calcium, 30 mg phosphorus, 1.0 mg iron, 0.04 mg thiamine, 0.02 mg riboflavin, 0.3 mg niacin and 5 mg ascorbic acid.
Prep time: | Cook time: | Total time: | Yield: 1 medium bowl (8 servings)
Serving size: 2 tablespoon | Calories per serving: 183 | Fat per serving: 26g
Directions:
1. The pulp of mature fruit is extracted directly from the wiry fibers of peeled fruit by hand. The whole fruit contains about 40% of undiluted pulp, which is dark yellow in color with its characteristic flavor and bitterness. The pulp is extracted manually with very little water. The process separated the 0.08kg of soluble solids mainly sucrose per fruit.
2. The pulp of mature fruit is extracted directly from the 3 kernels of the one whole Palmyra palm nut and hanged in a folded muslin or cheesecloth for draining water or liquids out over a bowl for one hour. The well hung pulp is now more thicker without bitterness.
3. To prepare the taal kheer take a heavy-bottomed deep pan, add the pulp, boil the pulp and sugar. The pulp was then dried over on slow fire.
4. After the sweetened pulp was thickened about 50% add thickened milk and scrapped coconut. The secret to cooking best Taal Kheer is to cook it in a heavy-bottomed deep pan over low heat until the pulp thickens about 70%. It should be stirred constantly with a long spoon because it splutters while drying and tends to burn in the bottom.
5. The grainy concentrated kheer is then transferred from the pan into the serving bowl. Before serving the taal kheer its kept in room temperature for a day. This dish is now ready to be served as a traditional sweet with puffed rice.