Rice Kheer or Rice Pudding is a delightful and luxurious traditional Indian pudding dessert prepared using rice, milk, nuts, and aromatic spices. This dessert is meant for the royals!
South Indian Rice Recipes
, Ghee Rice.
I would love to know which one is your most favorite 🙂
It's a mixed feeling for me today. These 9 days were filled with full of happiness and joy. It just passed like a flash of light. But the upcoming Diwali festival keeps my enthusiasm high. Have you planned anything for Diwali yet? I really want to post some interesting facts and recipes for the same. Meanwhile, you can also check my post on Diwali sweet recipes and Diwali snacks recipes.
About Kheer (Payasam)
Kheer or Doodhpak is a popular Indian-style pudding dessert or sweet recipe prepared using 3 basic ingredients: rice, milk, and sugar. All other ingredients are added to enhance the flavor and are totally optional. Did you know the word kheer is derived from the Sanskrit word "ksheer" which means milk? So milk is the main ingredient here.
A variation to doodh pak (rice kheer) is to use sabudana (tapioca pearls) instead of rice or combine the two. The time to cook sabudana and rice is different, so I avoid combining the two ingredients together. Another way to prepare Kheer is using Semolina-sevia or vermicelli(semiya or seviyan), which also tastes great and is easy to prepare. Other versions of kheer are makhana kheer, badam kheer, lauki kheer, mango kheer, and apple kheer..
This Chawal ki Kheer recipe is different from doodhpak prepared in Gujarat. The ingredients remain the same, but the time required to prepare this dish and the ratio of rice to milk vary. The recipe below is very popular in coastal Karnataka, especially with the Konkani community, and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.
This is an Indian dessert that can be prepared for any occasion, such as birthdays, anniversaries, romantic dinners, or festivals like Diwali, Holi, Ramnavmi, Christmas, or Ganesh Chaturthi. I have kept the recipe very authentic and traditional and have not added any condensed milk, khoya, or milk powder.
While you are here, check out some of the best Indian kheer and payasam recipes.
Ingredients
¾ cup Basmati Rice
1 ½ tablespoon Ghee (brown butter)
4 to 5 Cardamom pods (vary as per taste)
2 Cloves
2 cups Whole Milk
6 to 7 Saffron strands
½ to ¾ cup Sugar (Vary as per taste)
2 tablespoon broken cashews
2 tablespoon Almonds broken
1 tablespoon Raisins
Pro Tips
First, make kheer using good aromatic rice, like basmati or jeera. Next, add additional flavor to the dish. This is optional, but it will elevate your dish to the next level.
To do this, sauté the rice in butter or ghee for less than 2 minutes. Add cardamom skin (seeds will be crushed and used for the recipe), cloves, and water, and cook the rice. Check the video on the making of kheer or doodhpak
Once the rice is cooked, add milk and saffron strands, and simmer on low flame. Keep stirring to avoid it from sticking at the bottom. Once the rice is soft and cooked through, add sugar and simmer for a few more minutes till the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens. You can check the sweetness and adjust the sugar accordingly. See that you add sugar only when rice is cooked through completely.
Add ghee or butter in another pan and roast the dry fruits and nuts of your choice. Add this to the kheer along with cardamom powder and simmer for 1 more minute for the flavors to get infused.
Here are a few more important tips :
Rice kheer is a thick dessert that becomes dry or thick as it cools. To adjust this, add more milk or water. For the best results, use full-fat milk. Keep stirring it to avoid burning from the bottom. There is no exact ratio for rice, milk, and sugar. All three ingredients can be varied according to taste.
Instant Pot Indian-style Rice Pudding
- Kheer is one of the best and nice recipes that you can try on the instant pot. It makes your job easier. Follow the recipe below. The quantity of liquid and rice in an instant pot differs from that of a regular pot.
- Start by pressing the sauté button. Add ghee or butter to the inner pot of the instant pot. Add cashews, almonds, and sauté. Once they turn the light add raisins. Transfer this to a plate.
- Add 1 ½ cups of water, let it start steaming, and then add the remaining ingredients. This is to allow milk or pudding from sticking to the bottom. Then add 2 cups milk, ½ cup rice, sugar, cardamom skin and cloves, and saffron strands to the inner pot of the instant pot. Stir it once. Cover with the lid.
- Place the steam release handle in the sealing position and press the porridge button. Set the timer to 18 minutes. Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the lid, add cardamom powder roasted nuts and stir well. You may feel that the kheer is runny. In this case, you can cook on sauté mode till it becomes thick for desired consistency.
- However, kheer or pudding thickens as it cools down. Serve hot or chill, and enjoy.
Storage Suggestions
Once the kheer is done and cooled completely, you can store it in the refrigerator for 2 days. Add water or milk and reheat on low flame, stirring until heated.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Instead of milk use almond milk and skip roasting nuts and rice with ghee or butter.
Kheer is called sweet rice pudding.
You can serve it hot or cold, and it tastes great both ways. I like it eating it hot straight from the pan, while my husband loves the chilled version. Based on individual preference, serve this pudding or kheer hot or keep it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours and serve cold.
Good quality aromatic rice like basmati will enhance the dish's flavor, which is what I prefer. But you can make this with any rice variety of your choice. Some of my other choices are sona masuri, jasmine rice.
Full-fat whole milk is traditionally used, which makes your kheer creamy and rich. But again, you can add any dairy-free milk too. The taste will vary accordingly.
Follow the same steps given above, and once the rice is cooked in water and milk, instead of sugar, add ½ tin of condensed milk and add more if desired.
I like to first cook rice with water and then add milk and cook it. But if you want thick, rich, creamier kheer, then cook the rice only with milk and simmer. The starch in the rice will make the kheer thicken as it cools down.
More kheer recipes
Recipe card
Rice Kheer | Chawal ki Kheer
Equipment
- 1 Wide pan or pot
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Basmati Rice
- 1 ½ to 2 tablespoon Ghee (brown butter)
- 4 to 5 Cardamom pods (vary as per taste)
- 2 Cloves
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 6 to 7 Saffron strands
- ½ to ¾ cup Sugar (Vary as per taste)
- 2 tablespoon Cashews broken
- 2 tablespoon Almonds broken
- 1 tablespoon Raisins
Instructions
- In a pan, add rice, ½ to 1 tablespoon of ghee and saute it on medium flame just for a minute or two.¾ cup Basmati Rice, 1 ½ to 2 tablespoon Ghee (brown butter)
- Remove the skin of cardamom and separate the seeds. Crush the seeds in mortar and pestle and keep it aside.
- Add the cardamom skin (just to add flavor), cloves, and approx 1 ¼ cup of water. Once it comes to a boil, simmer it for 10 minutes till the rice is cooked through.4 to 5 Cardamom pods, 2 Cloves
- To the cooked rice, add whole milk, saffron strands, and simmer on medium to medium-low flame stirring it frequently till the rice becomes soft.2 cups Whole Milk
- Add the sugar and continue stirring till the mixture thickens. Start with ½ cup, check the sweetness and vary sugar as per your taste. If kheer or rice pudding becomes too thick (dry), you can add more milk or water.6 to 7 Saffron strands, ½ to ¾ cup Sugar
- In another pan add remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee and roast almonds and cashews. Once they turn light brown in color, add raisins and switch off the flame.2 tablespoon Cashews broken, 2 tablespoon Almonds broken, 1 tablespoon Raisins
- Add the roasted nuts along with crushed cardamom powder to the kheer and simmer for one more minute. Switch off the flame.
- Rice Kheer is now ready. Serve hot or chilled and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Use whole milk or full fat milk as it will make your pudding rich and creamier.
- Adding nuts, saffron and spices are totally optional. You can add only those available in your pantry and still make this kheer.
- Kheer is a thick dessert but it gets dry or thick in consistency as it cools down. To adjust this add more milk or water.
- Keep stirring it to avoid any burning from the bottom. There is not exact ratio for rice, milk and sugar. All three ingredients can be varied as per ones taste.
Nutrition
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Note: We originally posted this Indian rice kheer (pudding) recipe in Oct 2019. It has now been modified in Oct 2024 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
Amy
I loved the flavor of this rice pudding. It was so delicious and creamy!
Ned
I love rice pudding and this was really really good. Thank you for the awesome recipe!