A Rice Kheer recipe that is a keeper and a heirloom recipe from my family that you will love for its delight. This traditional Indian rice pudding made with basmati rice, nuts, saffron, sugar, whole milk and cardamom is slowly cooked to perfection, making for a rich and creamy kheer. I’m sharing our favorite rice kheer recipe which is easy.
About Kheer Recipe
Kheer is an Indian candy made from cereals, lentils or their flour. Indian cuisine has many forms of kheer recipes. Kheer is like a pudding regularly made with milk, sugar and some dried fruits. The choice of spices and aromas are usually cardamom, rose water, kewra water or saffron. So you must be wondering what is kheer rice?
Rice kheer is basically an Indian version of rice pudding made with basmati rice, whole milk, sugar, nuts, and spices. It is also one of the most popular kheer forms in North Indian cuisine along with Seviyan Kheer (vermicelli pudding) and Phirni (thick rice pudding).
My mother-in-law told me how to make this kheer recipe. For all religious or festive occasions, my mother-in-law always makes kheer rice.
Also Read: Modak Recipe | Ukadiche Modak
Ingredients
▢ ¼ cup basmati rice
▢ 1 liter of whole milk – 4 cups
▢ 6 tablespoons of sugar or add as needed
▢ ½ teaspoon of powdered cardamom or 5 to 6 powdered green cardamoms in a mortar-pestle (choti elaichi powder)
▢ 1 pinch of saffron strands or 14 to 16 saffron strands
▢ 1 tablespoon of chopped or sliced almonds or blanched almonds
▢ 1 tablespoon chopped or sliced cashews
▢ 1 tablespoon chopped unsalted pistachios
▢ 1 tablespoon of golden raisins
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse ¼ cup of basmati rice several times until the water runs clear of the starch.
- Then soak the rice in enough water for 15-20 minutes.
- Blanch the almonds – heat water in a small saucepan or saucepan. When the water boils, turn off the heat and add 10 to 12 almonds. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Then peel and slice the almonds. This is an optional step.
Cooking rice
- Meanwhile, when the rice grains are soaking, take full fat or whole milk in a kadai or saucepan.
- Keep the pan on low to medium-low heat. Mix at intervals so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Let the milk boil.
- Take 1 tablespoon of milk from the saucepan into a small bowl. Let the milk warm up. Then add a few strands of saffron in the milk. Set aside.
- Once the milk begins to boil, drain all the water from the rice and add it to the boiling milk. mix very well.
- Simmer and cook the rice over low heat. No need to cover the pot when the rice is cooking.
- Cook the rice grains until they are 50% cooked or half-cooked.
- Then add the sugar. You can add more or less sugar based on your choice. Combine the sugar in the milk with a spoon.
- Continue to cook the rice over low to medium-low heat. Stir at intervals. Simmer the heat until the rice is almost cooked.
Flavor Rice Kheer
- Then add ½ teaspoon of powdered cardamom. Add the blanched and peeled sliced almonds and the chopped cashews and sliced pistachios. Mix well.
- Then add the milk infused with saffron. Mix again and continue cooking over low heat until the rice kheer thickens and the rice grains are completely cooked.
- Turn off the heat when the rice grains are completely cooked. The kheer will also thicken. As it cools, the kheer rice thickens more. Scrape the milk solids off the sides and add them to the kheer.
- Finally add 1 tablespoon of golden raisins. At this step, you can add 1 tablespoon of kewra water or rose water to the kheer.
- Pour the kheer into individual serving bowls. You can serve the rice kheer, hot or warm or cool. Refrigerate leftover rice kheer in a closed container and eat it 1 to 2 said.
- You can enjoy it cold or reheat it before serving. If the kheer has become very thick, add a little milk and heat it until hot.
