Rice Kheer (Chawal Ki Kheer) is a traditional Indian rice pudding that is quite easy to put together and makes for a great dessert. Make this creamy, one-pot dessert with basic ingredients using my easy recipe.
3tablespoonsuncooked short-grain starchy white ricesome of my favorite varieties are Gobindobhog, Ambemohar, Indrayani and Jeera Samba
34ounceswhole milk (full-fat milk)1 liter
15-20strandssaffronoptional
15-20raisins
¼cupfinely grated dry coconut
¼cupgranulated white sugaror to taste
½teaspooncardamom powder (hari elaichi powder)
2tablespoonsslivered almonds and cashew nuts
Instructions
Rinse rice with water 2-3 times and soak it in ½ cup water for 30 minutes.
Heat milk in a heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat.
Stir frequently to avoid scorching.
When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low.
Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the pan along with saffron, raisins, and dry coconut.
Note – Do not add dry coconut unless the milk boils; otherwise, it might curdle.
Cook uncovered on low heat until the rice is cooked and the kheer is thickened (45-50 minutes).
While cooking, keep mashing with the back of the ladle.
Stir very frequently while cooking.
Keep scraping the sides of the pan and add the solidified milk back to the pan.
Note – The perfectly cooked kheer will be thick and creamy, like a chunky custard, and have rice grains almost incorporated into the milk.
Keep in consideration that the kheer will thicken some more once cooled.
Once the kheer has thickened, stir in the sugar and cardamom powder and cook for a minute.
Check for sugar, add more if required, and cook for another minute for it to dissolve.
Note – Never add sugar before the rice is fully cooked. The rice stops cooking as soon as the sugar is added, and if it’s not cooked well, you will be left with uncooked grains, how much ever you cook it later.
Transfer the kheer to small serving bowls. Garnish with almond and cashew nut slivers and dried rose petals, and serve hot or chilled.
This recipe can be easily scaled up or down as per your requirement.You can fry the nuts in little ghee before adding them to the kheer. It will give a different flavor.