Samak kheer
Samak kheer
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup samak/barnyard millet
- 4 cups milk or suitable alternative
- 3–4 tbsp sugar or preferred sweetener
- cardamom
- nuts
Method
- Rinse samak.
- Simmer it in milk over low heat, stirring regularly.
- Cook until tender and creamy, about 25–35 minutes depending on grain.
- Sweeten near the end and finish with cardamom and nuts.
Lauki halwa
Ingredients
- 3 cups grated bottle gourd
- 2 cups milk
- 2–3 tbsp ghee
- sweetener to taste
- cardamom and nuts
Method
- Squeeze only excess water, not all moisture, from grated lauki.
- Cook in ghee for several minutes.
- Add milk and simmer until absorbed and the lauki is tender.
- Sweeten near the end; cook until glossy and finish with nuts.
Substitutions
For dairy-free cooking, coconut or nut-based alternatives can work, but not every household includes every substitute in a vrat. The family’s fasting rules take priority over a generic recipe list.