Makhan Mishri is the simplest treat of all – soft butter mixed with mishri (rock sugar crystals), exactly the kind of thing baby Krishna is said to have loved stealing from kitchen pots. No cooking required, which makes this one perfect for little hands to help make.
What You’ll Need
- 1/2 cup fresh, unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 2-3 tbsp mishri (rock sugar), lightly crushed
- A few tulsi (holy basil) leaves, for garnish (optional)
Steps
Step 1: Soften the butter
Let the butter sit at room temperature until soft and easy to mix – don’t melt it, just soften it.
Step 2: Crush the mishri
Lightly crush the rock sugar crystals into smaller pieces using a mortar and pestle, or the back of a spoon.
Step 3: Mix them together
Gently mix the softened butter and crushed mishri together in a small bowl, until just combined.
Step 4: Shape and serve
Shape into a small mound or ball, top with a tulsi leaf, and offer it – just like devotees do on Janmashtami.
💡 Makhan Mishri is often the very first thing offered to Krishna at midnight on Janmashtami – the exact moment he was born.
Did You Know?
- Mishri is unrefined rock sugar, believed in many traditions to be purer than regular sugar, which is why it’s often used in offerings.
- This treat needs no cooking at all – it’s one of the simplest prasad (offering) recipes in Indian tradition.
- Butter and mishri are still offered together in temples across India every Janmashtami, thousands of years after the tradition began.
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle at home, here’s a simple one that works well for crushing mishri and other spices.