Orange Kheer (Santre Ki Kheer, Bengali Komola Kheer) is a delicious Bengali-style rice pudding flavored with fresh oranges. It is a great Indian dessert to make for festivals and special occasions (vegetarian, gluten-free).
Here are some more kheer recipes that you may like – Thandai Kheer, Badam Kheer, Sabudana Kheer, Makhana Kheer, Paneer Kheer, Seviyan Kheer, Carrot Kheer, Chikoo Kheer, Lauki Ki Kheer, and Sweet Potato Kheer.
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About Orange Kheer (Bengali Komola Kheer)
Orange Kheer (Santre Ki Kheer, Komlalebur Payesh, Bengali Komola Kheer) is nothing but your regular kheer flavored with juicy ripe orange flesh.
It is a popular Bengali dessert that is prepared especially in winter using seasonal oranges.
This gluten-free kheer is great to serve for festivals or special occasions. It can also be served for vrat days (Hindu fasting).
You can easily double or triple this orange kheer recipe as per your need.
Ingredients
Milk – Use whole milk (full-fat milk) to make a creamy and rich kheer.
For a vegan version, you can try this recipe with almond milk or cashew milk.
Oranges – Try to use sweet and juicy Darjeeling or Nagpur oranges to make this komola kheer. Kinnow oranges also work great. If the oranges are sour, they may curdle the kheer.
Discard the skin and the white membrane of the oranges and use only the flesh.
Sugar – Adjust as per your taste. You can replace sugar with honey or stevia as well.
Garnish the kheer with slivered nuts such as almonds, pistachios, and cashew nuts for a nice crunch.
Cornstarch – It is optional but it makes the komola kheer very creamy and quickens the process of making it.
You can add a little cardamom powder to flavor the kheer.
How To Make Orange Kheer
Peel the oranges and separate the segments.
Remove the outer membrane, discard the seeds and take out the flesh in a bowl. Keep it aside.
Add milk to a heavy bottom pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30-40 minutes until the milk is reduced to half. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan after every 10-12 minutes.
Mix cornstarch in ¼ cup water and add the slurry to the pan.
Cook for 10-12 minutes until the kheer thickens. The correct consistency of kheer is like that of a thick custard.
Add sugar and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the kheer cool down completely.
Cover the pan with cling wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Once it is chilled, stir in the orange segments (along with the orange juice).
Garnish with almond and pistachio slivers and serve.
Pro Tips By Neha
DO NOT add oranges to the kheer until it is completely chilled otherwise the milk may curdle.
If using vegan milk, then cook only on low heat and keep stirring frequently otherwise the milk may split.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Kheer Komola for dessert for festivals such as Durga Pooja, Diwali, Holi, etc. You can also serve it for special occasions or your special weekend meals.
This delicious dessert recipe is also vrat (Hindu fasting) friendly. You can serve it for Navratri, Shivratri, or Ekadasi vrat.
Storage Suggestions
This Bengali orange kheer will last in the fridge for about 1-2 days when stored in an air-tight container. After that, it will become tangy because of the oranges and won’t taste great. Stir it well before consuming it.
This dessert doesn’t freeze well. The milk will curdle when thawed.
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Recipe Card
Orange Kheer Recipe (Santre Ki Kheer, Bengali Kheer Komola)
Ingredients
- 3-4 cup ripe juicy oranges
- 1 litre whole milk (full-fat milk)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Peel the oranges and separate the segments.
- Remove the outer membrane, discard the seeds and take out the flesh in a bowl. Keep it aside.
- Add milk to a heavy bottom pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 30-40 minutes until the milk is reduced to half. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan after every 10-12 minutes.
- Mix cornstarch in ¼ cup water and add the slurry to the pan.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the kheer thickens. The correct consistency of kheer is like that of a thick custard.
- Add sugar and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the kheer cool down completely.
- Cover the pan with cling wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Once it is chilled, stir in the orange pieces.
- Garnish with almond and pistachio slivers and serve.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!