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.