This is a unique and lovable sweet dish of winter – I have not seen it in any shop and I wonder why some enterprising individual has not thought it fit to market this product till now. It is similar to raso-malai but instead of rasogollas, oranges are used.
Oranges are in abundance during winter, hence the preference. In Bengal, it is the Darjeeling brand of the fruit, and here in Nashik it is the Nagpur brand – both are equally delicious. As to the method of eating, some like it immediately after peeling – others love the juicy interiors in a liquid form as a juice. That is to be done up in a mixer and served with toppings of a scoop of ice cream or garnished with finely chopped cashew, almonds, pista etcetera.
And, there are others like me, who relish their oranges in a slightly different manner – in a pool of semi thick milk known better as the kheer-kamala.
To prepare this wonderful dish, one has to have plenty of patience because the trick is to boil down a certain quantity of milk to nearly half its volume over a slow fire. This allows the milk to gradually thicken and acquire a heavenly taste. The average time is around three hours for one liter of milk. Once the base is ready, it should be allowed to cool down at room temperature. During this waiting period, the oranges are to be peeled and the internal skin is gently removed along with the seeds. Four medium size oranges are sufficient for one liter of milk reduced to approximately half a liter. The mixture should not be stirred but the container should be gently shaken for the oranges to settle down comfortably in the bed of gravy. No, sugar is not necessary since any external sweetener would rob the dish of its out-of-the-world flavor.
For best results, it is to be served cold.
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