Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Kheer (Rice Pudding)
A slow-cooked, creamy, luxurious rice pudding infused with cardamom, saffron, and loaded with dry fruits.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- full-fat milk
- basmati rice
- sugar
- green cardamom powder
- saffron strands
- almonds
- cashews
- pistachios
- raisins
- ghee (optional)
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot
Instructions
- 1
Soak the Rice
Wash a handful of fragrant Basmati rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water.
- 2
Slight Crush (Optional)
For a creamier texture, slightly crush the soaked rice grains with your hands.
- 3
Boil the Milk
Pour full-fat milk into a heavy-bottomed, wide pan. Bring it to a boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn't scorch.
- 4
Add the Rice
Once the milk boils, lower the heat and add the drained rice.
- 5
The Slow Simmer
Cook on low heat, stirring frequently. Scrape the sides of the pan and mix the dried milk solids (malai) back into the milk.
- 6
Test the Rice
After 25-30 minutes, the rice should be completely soft and almost mashing into the thickened milk.
- 7
Add Sugar
Add sugar only AFTER the rice is completely cooked. (Sugar stops the rice from cooking further). Stir until dissolved.
- 8
Add Flavors
Add cardamom powder and saffron strands soaked in a tablespoon of warm milk.
- 9
Prep the Nuts
In a small separate pan, lightly fry the chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios, and raisins in a teaspoon of ghee until the raisins puff up.
- 10
Combine
Pour the fried nuts and ghee into the Kheer. Stir well.
- 11
Final Simmer
Simmer for another 5 minutes until the Kheer reaches a thick, creamy consistency. Remember, it will thicken further as it cools.
- 12
Serve
Kheer can be served piping hot in winter or chilled in summer.
Cooking Tips
- Never leave the stove while making Kheer. Milk burns incredibly quickly at the bottom of the pan, ruining the entire dish.
- The ratio of rice to milk should be low. Kheer is about thickened milk, not a bowl of boiled rice.
Variations
- Seviyan Kheer: Replace rice with roasted vermicelli noodles for an Eid special.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- In South India, a very similar dish is called Payasam, often sweetened with jaggery instead of sugar.
Nutrition Estimate
280 calories · 7g protein · 42g carbs · 10g fat · 1g fiber per serving
