Kheer Recipe

Kheer Recipe is a scrumptious, creamy, and rich dessert prepared by slow-cooking milk with rice in it, topped with nuts, and flavored with aromatic zest. Rice Kheer is another popular version of this dessert. It truly makes a great feature for any special meal or festive occasion. It can be easily made in a few minutes at home. Learn how to make this easy classic Rice Kheer recipe in a step-by-step guide and in video tutorials.

Kheer is a very popular, rich, and creamy dessert, mostly prepared on the occasions of festivals and special get-to-gathers. Traditionally basmati or raw rice is used to make it. Though I have made Rice Kheer many times using basmati rice, this time I happened to use raw rice; the result was simply mouthwatering.

About Kheer:

Kheer is the Indian version of rice pudding. This preparation is essentially made of milk, rice, and sugar as its primary ingredients. Although there are different versions of Kheer, the authentic and traditional recipe of Kheer is Rice Kheer.

Rice is simmered in milk and sweetened with sugar and flavored with aromatic spices to make it a divine dessert. This traditional Rice Kheer resembles pudding but contains rice, milk, sugar, nuts, and dried fruits.

You can make it in pressure cooker or even in the instant pot for your convenience, but the vessel of open-cooked is just authentic. Of course, it takes a lot of time since milk needs to reduce and rice gets cooked too, but trust me when I tell you that it’s totally worth the efforts. Do try it out and let me know how it goes for you!

No festive meal is complete without a serving of Kheer. However, although this dessert comes from North India, a similar sweet in South India is called Payasam. Though sharing such resemblance to one another, there are still certain differences between the two.

Rice Kheer Ingredients:

• Rice: I used raw rice, but basmati rice is just awesome.

• Milk – Whole milk works best; I used cow’s milk, which takes a little longer to boil.

• Sugar – I used regular white sugar, but you can use brown sugar or even cane sugar.

• Nuts: I added almonds and pistachios; cashews, raisins, or your favorite nuts are perfectly fine. To add a little crunch, you could ghee roast the nuts prior to their addition.

• Flavoring – I used cardamom powder, saffron and rose water, which well pairs with the flavor of rice kheer.

Here’s how to make the delicious rice kheer step by step:

Rice Kheer Recipe

Step 1: Soak and Rinse Rice
Soak 1/4 cup raw rice or basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Soak 1/4 cup raw rice or basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Boil Milk
Add 4 cups (1 liter) of milk to a large pot. Boil it.

Step 3: Simmer and Add Rice
Simmer the milk for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides of the pan to collect the malai or cream.
Mix in the drained and soaked rice and milk. Mix well

Pressure Cooker Method

Pressurise for 2-3 whistles on medium flame. Use a tall cooker to avoid overflowing of milk. Add a small spoon or plate in cooker to avoid spilling over

Instant Pot Method

Set to pressure cook high for 10 minutes. Wait until the pressure release itself as well before moving on.

Step 4: Cooking Rice

Cook until the rice is soft enough to mash but not mushy.
Check by pressing it with a spoon.

Step 5: Add Sweetener and Spices

Add 1/4 cup sugar.
Add 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder and a few strands of saffron.

Step 6: Simmer and Thicken

Let it simmer until the kheer is slightly thick by stirring occasionally, of course.
Scrape the sides and add the malai to the kheer.

Step 7: Mash Rice and Add Nuts

Mash the rice slightly with a ladle
Add 1 tablespoon of chopped mixed nuts (or more to your taste)

Step 8: Add Rose Water (optional)

Add 1 tsp of rose water or kewra water (optional)
If using rose essence, add 1/4 tsp

Step 9: Serve

Switch off the heat when the kheer is still slightly runny (it will thicken with time).
Serve Rice Kheer hot or cold, whichever you like.

Expert Tips

1. Always keep off the heat when still a little runny; it will thicken up later. If it gets too thick at the time of serving, a little milk can be added as needed.
   
   2.Note also that add sugar only after the rice is well cooked.
   
   3.If using cane sugar, it should be added after having simmered because adding it while on a rolling boil may curdle the milk.
   
   4.Never boil kheer on the flame; cook only at low to medium-low flame. Patient and keep stirring so it doesn’t get stuck or burn at the bottom.
   
   5However, the main disadvantage of the open-pot method is that it is very prone to burning and one needs to check it every minute or so.
   
   6.In fact, you can adjust the amount of sugar according to your preference.

Storing & Serving Suggestion

This may be served either hot or chilled according to your choice. Refrigerate leftovers; it keeps good for a day if left open and remains fresh up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

FAQS

Which variety of rice is suitable for Rice Kheer?
Basmati rice or raw rice would be perfectly good as there is no difference in the texture after cooking. Depending upon the type and age of the rice, it will be cooked and this cannot be predetermined, so just keep an eye on it as it cooks.

What kind of milk must I use?
Any full-fat milk can be used for Rice Kheer. I used cow’s milk, which takes a little more time to boil than the packet milk. You can also use full-cream packet milk for richness.

What is the difference between Rice Pudding and Rice Kheer?
There is no real difference—Rice Kheer and Rice Pudding are basically the same dish. “Rice Kheer” is just the Indian term for what we know as Rice Pudding.