Phool Makhana ki Kheer

Makhanas are puffed lotus seeds, just like pop corns are puffed corn kernels. Today is the second day of my Navratras and I decided to treat myself with Makhana Kheer today. My Mom usually roasted them in a couple of teaspoons of ghee and added salt and pepper it made a nice munch. I believe makhanas are also added to a variety of curries but I have never tried it. Simple and quick to make- this is how I went about it-
Ingredients: Phool Makhanas- 1 Cup, Milk- 500 ml, Sugar as per taste, Kesar – a few strands (optional), Dry fruits and raisins (vertically cut almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts), Ghee – 2 tsp (optional), Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Makhana ka Paag

Cut Makhane into four parts. Take a pan and heat ghee into it. Fry the makahne, till they turn light pink in colour. Fry all the Makhane in the same manner.Take a pan and grease it with ghee.
To make sweet syrup (chashni) take sugar and 1/3 water of the quantity of sugar. Boil it till the sugar dissolves completely, and then add milk into it. You will see a brown colour foam forming at the top of the pan, take it out with the help of a ladle. Prepare a 3 string syrup. 3 string syrup is extremely thick and freezes instantly on the spoon.
Now add fried makhane into the syrup and stir it continuously with the ladle. Put this mixture into the greased pan. Within half n hour the mixture will settle down. Makhane Pag is ready. Break the makhane into small pieces and store it in an air-tight container. Makhane Pag can be stored in the refrigerator for 20 days. Take it out from the refrigerator and eat it whenever you like.
Ingredients: Makhane - 100 gms, Ghee - 200 gms, Sugar - 500 gms, Milk - 1 table spoon.

Palak Makhana

Roughly chop the spinach and rinse it carefully in a bowl of water. Place into a saucepan with the tumeric. The water left on the spinach will be sufficient for cooking it. Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted and almost cooked. Using the immersion blender, blend until semi smooth.
In a pan, toast the phool makhana in a pan with a little ghee until lightly brown (you can toast them in a dry pan if you prefer). Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan with the remaining ghee, toast the cumin until brown. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add the tomatoes and cook until they lose most of their liquid. Then add the spices – the turmeric, garam masala, Cinnamon stick, chilli powder and salt to taste – and the water. Mix and allow to simmer for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add the spinach and the milk and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add the toasted Phool Makhana to the spinach gravy. Bring to the boil, simmer for a moment, remove from heat and serve.
Ingredients: 1 bunch spinach, 1 onion, chopped, 2 tomatoes, diced, 1 cup Phool Makhana, 1 tspn Cumin, 1 tspn Garam Masala, 0.5 tspn chilli powder, 1 Cinnamon stick, 0.5 tspn Turmeric, 0.25 cup Milk, 1 Tblspn Ghee, Salt to taste