Custard Apple/Sitaphal is a gorgeous looking fruit. It is a beautiful subject to shoot with for yearning photographers like me. I absolutely love this fruit and have been fortunate to have two big custard apple trees in my backyard growing up and we would eagerly wait for them to ripe in October and relish this seasonal fruit for about a month and a half. Mummy would pluck only ripe fruits saying they taste the sweetest; this is something I miss in Delhi where fruits are plucked in a raw/semi-raw stage days before they get ripe. However, I am still happy to find them in my local market and don’t miss any chance of buying and gorging on them.

Custard Apple (Sitaphal)
Custard Apple (Sitaphal)

Custard Apples are a rich source of Vitamin C and A and help to keep your heart, skin, and hair healthy. And a bonus is that they are extremely tasty and amazing, isn’t it? I love using them during my fasts and eating them raw, making a Sitaphal milkshake or this amazing Navratri Vrat special Sitaphal Kheer or Custard Apple Kheer/pudding.

PREPARATION TIME: 15-20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Low

INGREDIENTS: 

  1. Full fat milk – 1 Litre
  2. Sugar – 1/4 cup
  3. Saffron strands – a few
  4. Sitaphal pulp – 3/4 cup (2 large fruits)
  5. Dry fruits (Pistachios + Almond) – for garnish

UTENSILS/INGREDIENTS:

  1. Non-stick pan
  2. Wooden spoon
  3. Saffron

RECIPE:

  1. Boil a liter of full-fat milk in a non-stick pan. It’s preferable not to use skimmed milk as your kheer won’t turn out rich and tasty.
  2. Lower the heat and keep stirring the milk and add the sugar and saffron strands.
Add saffron strands and sugar to the milk
Add saffron strands and sugar to the milk

3. Mix well and cook until it reduces to half.
4. Remove the condensed milk kheer from heat and let it cool down for 30 minutes or so.
5. In the meanwhile, remove seeds from ripe custard apples and collect the pulp. This is slightly tedious, so it will help if you take ripe fruits.
6. Mash this pulp slightly, alternatively, you can coarsely grind as well.
7. Add this mashed pulp to the cooled milk mixture and mix well.

Add Sitaphal pulp in the cooled milk
Add Sitaphal pulp in the cooled milk

8. Garnish with some dry fruit slices.

Serve the Sitaphal Kheer warm or cold based on your preference and enjoy this delicacy.

Navratri Vrat Special Sitaphal Kheer
Navratri Vrat Special Sitaphal Kheer

If you would love to try some other fasting recipes, then do try my Apple Cinnamon Kheer, Sabudana Khichdi, Kuttu ke Aate ki Kadhi, Buckwheat Pancakes, Raw Banana cutlets, and more.