Khīrå sāgårå () is an
Odia sweet dish that literally translates to ''
ocean of milk
In Hindu cosmology, the ''Kshira Sagara'' (, ; ; ; Telugu: Pala Samudram) or Ocean of Milk is the fifth from the centre of the seven oceans. It surrounds the continent known as Krauncha. According to Hindu scriptures, the devas and asuras worked ...
'' in Odia language.
The sweet has depiction in
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
scriptures about
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...
serving
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
and Madhusudana with it.
Khīrå sāgårå consists of marble-sized balls of
chhena
Chhena () or chhana () is a kind of acid-set cheese originating in the Indian subcontinent that is made from water buffaloDalby, A 2009, ''Cheese: A Global History'', Reaktion Books, p. 73, Kapoor, S & Kapoor, A 2006, ''Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil V ...
cheese soaked in sweetened, condensed milk. Saffron and cardamoms are the typical seasonings that are added to this dish. Khirå sagårå is typically served either at room temperature or slightly chilled.
However, the milk base in khirå sāgårå is thicker, acquiring the consistency of
rabri
''Rabri'', Rabdi or Rabidi (IAST: Rabaḍī) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale ye ...
.
See also
*
Chhena gaja
Chhena gaja () is a sweet dish from Balasore, Odisha, India. Unlike some other popular chhena-based Odia desserts, such as rasagola, which have spread throughout India, the chhena gaja remains largely popular within the state itself.
Although ...
*
Chhena jalebi
Chhena jalebi or Chhena jilapi is a sweet dish originally from the eastern state of Odisha in the Indian subcontinent. It is a dessert made from chhena. It is popular in Odisha, West Bengal, Bangladesh and other eastern regions of the Indian sub ...
*
Chhena kheeri
Chhena kheeri () is a sweet dish originally from coastal Odisha in eastern India.
Preparation
Chhena kheeri is made by deep-frying cubes of chhena cheese. Although typically ghee is used as the frying medium, chefs frequently substitute this wi ...
*
Chhena poda
Chhenapoda () () is a cheese dessert from the Indian state of Odisha. ''Chhena poda'' literally means ''Burnt Cheese'' in Odia, referring to its caramelised crust exterior and soft, spongy texture with slightly smoky notes. It is often describ ...
*
Kheer
Kheer, khir or payasam is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, ...
*
Rasabali
Rasabali (, IAST: rasābaḷi) is a sweet dish from Odisha, India. It consists of deep fried flattened reddish brown patties of chhena (farmer cheese) that are soaked in thickened, sweetened milk ( rabri). Flattening the chhena into palm-sized pa ...
*
Rasagolla
Rasgulla (literally "syrup filled ball") is a syrupy dessert popular in the eastern part of South Asia. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena dough, cooked in light sugar syrup. This is done until the syrup permeates the dumplings ...
References
{{Indian Dishes
Indian desserts
Odia cuisine
Indian dairy products