Indian Rice Pudding - Rice Kheer

This is a basic and simple recipe for the Rice Pudding you get at an Indian restaurant in the United States. Indian Rice Pudding "Kheer" is a simple dessert of rice, milk, and sugar. It is traditionally flavored with Cardamom and Nuts or Fruit.

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What is Kheer?

Kheer is a traditional Indian "rice pudding" that has deep roots in the country's culinary heritage. It is made by simmering rice in milk and sweetening it with sugar. The dessert is often flavored with cardamom, saffron, or other spices, giving it a distinctive aromatic taste. Nuts like cashews, almonds or pistachios are added. Kheer is commonly served during festive celebrations, embodying the essence of Indian hospitality and tradition.

Then & Now

This recipe post was originally published in July of 2013 when I just finished reviewing the 1973 Cook Book By Madhur Jaffrey, An Invitation to Indian Cooking. I had paired the recipe with a movie called "Monsoon Wedding (2001)." Recently I found Madhur Jaffrey teaching Indian recipes on Masterclass and she is so delightful to watch.

We call it Indian Rice Pudding in America but it's more like a cold soup. Kheer is my favorite of all Indian desserts.

I love this book. The writing is so authentic. Look at what she says:

Please do not call it a "rice pudding." This sweet has been served to kings at banquets and to brides at wedding ceremonies - in no way does it resemble the stodgy rice pudding seen around in the Western Hemisphere!

I believe we have just been forbidden to call it Rice Pudding. But let us continue...

If I were going to give it a Western Hemisphere name, I'd probably call it Cold Cardamom-Basmati Soup.

The word Kheer is pronounced KEY-EAR or KEEHD or, rhymes with HERE if you don't have a good Indian accent, which I don't. 🙂 This is the original photo I did when I first started blogging. I think my photography has improved a little bit over the years.

Simple Ingredients for Kheer

• Basmati Rice
• Vitamin D Whole Milk
• Sugar
• Ground Cardamom Powder
• Unsalted Cashews, halved

Friends Around The World

Since 2014, when I originally wrote this blog post, I've been blessed to make a new friend who lives in India. Her name is Deepti. She is a Food Blogger Extraordinaire and Editor of VegBuffet. Her site is full of delicious vegetarian recipes and she is an expert on all the best spices and flavorings.

How To Make Authentic Kheer

I consulted with Deepti for a review of the rice kheer recipe at hand. One question I had was, “What is Vark?" and how is it used?

Here is what she said:

For a rice kheer, the main ingredients are rice, milk, and sugar. I use my mother-in-law's recipe in which I prefer using toned milk, full fat milk would work well too. 1 kg single toned with ¼ cup basmati rice and ¼ cup sugar.

We don't use cardamom skin only pods and that are also coarsely grounded for the best flavor. Also, I have never used Vark as here in India, vark is used over mithais.

Vark is silver or gold edible foil placed over elegant sweets like burfi, kaju katli, etc. I sometimes use Saffron fragments.

1. The process is to soak rice in cold water after gentle washing.

Boil milk in heavy bottomed pan on full flame or milk would give burnt up taste. I use Hindalium pan.

Once milk boils, slow the flame. Now we will cook in slow flame throughout.

Add soaked rice, remove the water from soaking. Mix well.

It takes 1 hr to make kheer. Keep stirring and keep a close watch. While milk reduces, it may generate a layer of cream, which can be added back to milk or removed as per your preference.

Slowly rice would be cooked. But we have to keep cooking till long strands of cooked rice become one fourth. That's when milk and rice would give a thick consistency as well. Add sugar and cardamom. Close the flame and mix well.

What is "Toned Milk?"

We are just using regular Cow's Milk here in America but I wanted to let you know what toned milk is.

Toned milk is a method, developed in India, of treating buffalo milk by adding skim milk, powdered skim milk and water to buffalo milk. This process decreases the fat content, increases the quantity of available milk, and 'tones up' the non-fat solids level to the original amount. -----Wikipedia.

Deepti says that Toned Milk can be a mix of buffalo and cow's milk. Depends on the brand as well.

Alternative Milks

On this blog, I no longer project what I think will be a good substitute for an ingredient, unless I have actually tried it. I'm usually right, but sometimes I'm wrong. LOL

I have not tried any non dairy milk. If I were going to, my first choice would be Rice Milk to pair with the flavor of the main ingredient, rice.

My second choice would be Cashew Milk, to pair with the Cashews.

Possibly try Almond Milk and pair it with almonds. Another option may be coconut milk paired with unsweetened shredded coconut shreds.

I would also reduce the amount of milk a little bit. Substitutes for the milk may not thicken as much as Cow's milk. You want a nice creamy kheer

If you try an Alternative to Regular Milk, please leave your results in the comments section of this post! We'd love to hear from you.

What is the best type of Rice For Indian Rice Pudding?

Basmati is the rice of choice for the Indian version of rice pudding. Basmati rice is widely used in Indian cooking and holds cultural significance. Its association with traditional Indian dishes makes it a natural choice for making kheer. It has an aromatic fragrance and elongated strands that make for a beautiful dish.

What are the Different Types of Kheer?

These variations of kheer carry the same flavor profile, using basic ingredients such as milk, sugar cardamom, saffron, and nuts. All preferably made in a heavy bottom pan.

1. Seviyan Kheer: Also known as vermicelli kheer, it is made using thin vermicelli noodles.
2. Sabudana Kheer: This kheer is made with tapioca pearls (sago), milk, sugar, and flavored with cardamom and saffron. It's commonly consumed during religious fasting or as a dessert.
3. Paneer Kheer: Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is grated or crumbled and cooked to the right consistency.
4. Carrot Kheer (Gajar Ki Kheer): Grated carrots are cooked in milk until soft, sweetened with sugar, and flavored with cardamom, saffron strands, and nuts to create this colorful and flavorful variation of kheer.
5. Phirni: Similar to kheer, phirni is made using ground rice paste instead of whole rice grains. It is set in earthen pots and has a thicker consistency compared to traditional kheer.
6. Makhana Kheer: Makhana, or fox nuts, are roasted and cooked to create a creamy and nutritious kheer.
7. Chironji Kheer: Chironji seeds (charoli) are used. Chironji seeds add a unique nutty flavor to the dessert.

What Type of Nuts Go in Kheer?

Nuts and fruit are completely optional. Cardamom is the flavor of spice that really signifies this dessert from a typical American rice pudding. I used to add pistachios but they are expensive and sometimes difficult to find unsalted and shelled. Other options for adding in are:

• Cashews, unsalted, broken, or halved (very good)
• Pistachios (I used to buy them salted in the shell and then rinse them off because my grocery store did not sell unsalted deshelled pistachios)
• Almonds -sliced, natural or slivered
• Raisins - Preferably Golden raisins
• Any other dried fruits such as figs, or Dehydrated Mango
• Fresh fruits such as mango (my FAVORITE below), pomegranate, berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries

***Tip: I like to put them in at the end of the cooking and let them get soft by the time it's ready to serve cold. For myself, putting crunchy nuts on top right before serving is an uncomfortable contrast while eating.

Mango Kheer

I developed a taste for the combination of Kheer with Mango. My mom and I used to go to an Indian Restaurant that served both Mango Ice Cream and Kheer as a dessert choice on the buffet. Somehow, those two desserts ended up in the same bowl for me.

My favorite combination and personal preference is this Basic Indian Rice Pudding Kheer Recipe with a Fresh Ripe Mango Puree to serve on the side, which can be drizzled over the top or stirred right in. In this photo I did use a little bit of saffron for decoration but I don't usually use saffron. I want to keep the cost down on making this and the strands can be expensive.

Kheer is a traditional and easy dessert served in small bowls. This is the best ending to an Indian meal.

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