A popular rice pudding dessert made primarily of milk, rice, and sugar. It’s thick and creamy, enhanced with nuts and cardamom, and has a rich decadent flavor.
What is Kheer?
Rice pudding has lots of variations across different regions. The common components are milk, water, rice, and sugar. The other ingredients, like spices, fruits, nuts, add layers of flavor and are what make this dessert different around the world.
Kheer is a South Asian rice pudding dessert with lots of subtle flavor. It’s one of the easiest things to make for a dessert that tastes so delicious! In many households, kheer is made on special occasions and celebrations but you really don’t need any excuse to make it. This dessert comes together very easily, doesn’t require any cooking skills, and can be enjoyed any time you want something sweet.
Common questions
Can I leave out the nuts?
Yes you can! But the nuts add lots of incredible flavor so I wouldn’t recommend leaving them out unless you have to due to an allergy, dietary restrictions, etc. To compensate for the flavor, add an extra 1/2 tsp of cardamom.
Also, you could also use just one or the other. Pistachios already have a cardamom flavor to them so if you choose to add more pistachios you might want to cut down on the cardamom powder. For the almonds, you can use them blanched, sliced, or whole almonds chopped into small pieces.
How do I know when it’s done?
When the rice is cooked through, the mixture is thick and creamy, sugar has dissolved, and flavors have come together, you know it’s done. It also thickens as it sets and cools so be careful not to overcook it.
To Enjoy
Like regular pudding, kheer can be enjoyed straight out of the serving dish with a spoon. However, there are a few simple ways you can add extra goodness to this dish.
Instead of eating out of a spoon, enjoy kheer with some puri. Puri is basically a crunchy fried roti (flour tortilla) and kheer puri make an elite food combo! Although it is traditionally made with homemade dough, you can make it using pre-made uncooked roti as well. Just shallow fry the roti in hot oil until golden and crispy on both sides (takes less than a minute in total). It won’t be exactly like a traditional puri but it serves deliciously with kheer!
Optionally, you can also garnish it with chopped nuts like pistachios, almonds, and/or cashews. They add some nutrition and more texture to the dish!
Notes & Tips
While this is a relatively easy dessert to make, it’s important to note a few tips in order to get the rich taste and creamy texture.
- Use only uncooked white rice for this recipe.
- I only recommend using whole milk since it’s more rich and adds creaminess to the kheer.
- Make sure to stir frequently to avoid sticking on the bottom of the pan.
- If you have saffron, add a pinch to the kheer as it’s cooking. It adds subtle sweetness and elevates the flavor of the entire dish!
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Kheer- The Best Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) uncooked basmati rice
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 8 cups (1920 ml) whole milk
- 1¼ cup (225 g) white sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup (35 g) almonds – chopped
- 1/4 cup (35 g) shelled unsalted pistachios – chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the rice a few times until the water runs clear. Then soak it in 1 cup of water for 15-20 minutes.
- In a saucepan, add the milk and rice with the water it was soaking in. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring often, until the rice is cooked and the mixture thickens.
- In the meantime, add the nuts to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Then lower the heat and add the sugar, cardamom powder, and nuts (if using). Continue cooking while stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. The sugar should dissolve completely and the kheer should be thicker and more creamy. Note that it continues to thicken as it cools and sets so do not overcook at this step.
- Taste and add more sugar or cardamom if preferred.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to serving dish. Let it cool to room temperature to serve warm or refrigerate to serve chilled. Keep leftovers refrigerated.
