Khiriha

{{short description|Assamese dairy food}} {{Infobox food | name = Khiriha | image = Khirixa.jpg | image_size = | caption = Khiriha, a traditional Assamese dessert | alternate_name = Khirixa | country = India | region = Assam | creator = | type = Dairy product | course = Dessert | main_ingredient = Whole milk and jaggery or sugar | calories = | no_recipes = yes | no_commons = yes }} '''Khiriha''', or '''khirixa''' ({{IPA|as|kʰiˈɹihä|audio=As-খীৰিহা.wav}}) is a condensed milk dessert traditionally made in Assam, India. Its preparation involves boiling milk with jaggery or sugar added and reducing it by evaporation to a thick consistency over a low flame.<ref name="XobdoKhirisa">{{cite web |title=খিৰিসা - Dictionary Entry |url=https://www.xobdo.org/dic/%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE |website=XOBDO.ORG |access-date=December 17, 2024 |language=as, en}}</ref><ref>{{harv|Barua|2023|pp=385}}</ref>

==History== The history of khiriha goes long back. It has been mentioned in many sources such as the 14th century Saptakanda Ramayana, 16th century Gurucharit (a biography of Sankardeva) and others. For example, a verse in Early Assamese from Sankaracharita where Satyasandha, Sankardeva's mother asks their home worker Chandari to make khiriha (earlier khirisa) for Sankardeva:<ref name="Chandrakanta">{{cite book |title=Chandrakanta Abhidhan: A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Assamese Language |editor-last1=Neog |editor-first1=Maheswar |editor-last2=Goswami |editor-first2=Upendranath |date=1987 |edition=3rd |publisher=Gauhati University |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/candrakanta_query.py?qs=%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE&searchhws=yes |via=Digital South Asia Library |access-date=December 17, 2024}}</ref> {{Verse translation|lang1=as |Satyasandhā bole ore Candarī suniyo, Saṅkaraka lāgi ghana khirisā kariyo. |Satyasandha says, "Oh Chandari, listen, make some condensed ''khirisā'' for Sankara." |attr1=Bhusana Dvija, ''Sankara charita'' |attr2=Translation }}

Khiriha is also often mentioned in literature among other desserts and other foods. Such as in the 18th century Katha Gurucharita:<ref name="Lekaru1952">{{cite book |last=Lekaru |first=Upendrachandra |title=Katha-gurucharit |date=1952 |publisher=Sri Harinarayan Duttbarua |location=Nalbari |language=as |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.452045/page/184/mode/2up |page=301 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> {{blockquote|Khirāba zanā xewą arthe katok khir, keho ''khirihā'', kato kalahunu, keho dai, kato dugdha, keho kāsi dai, kator ghrita, katoko ghol, keho xarkarā, katoehe amrit.}}

===References=== {{reflist}}

==Sources== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last=Barua |first=Hemchandra |editor-last=Baruah |editor-first=Jayanta |title=Hemkosh: An Etymological Dictionary of the Assamese Language |edition=15th Revised |date=2023 |publisher=Hemkosh Prakashan |location=Guwahati |page=385 |language=as, en}}

Category:Indian desserts Category:Assamese cuisine Category:Cuisine of Northeast India Category:South Asian cuisine Category:Puddings Category:Indian dairy products Category:Milk desserts