Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)
Creamy, mildly sweetened Indian rice pudding flavored with saffron and cardamom, made in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup Basmati rice
- 6 cups full fat milk
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup sugar, (as per taste)
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder, (around 5-6 green cardamom pods)
- 15-20 strands of saffron
- ¼ cup almond flour (optional)
- 2 tablespoon condensed milk (optional)
- 8-10 almonds, chopped
- 1 tablespoon raisins
For Garnish:
- Handful of silvered almonds, pistachios, (nuts of choice)
Instructions
Instant Pot instructions
- Rinse rice until water runs clear; soak 30 minutes, then drain.
- Add water to the Instant Pot inner pot first (prevents sticking).
- Add milk, rice, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron. Mix well. Do not add condensed milk or almond flour yet.
- Seal the lid (vent to sealing). Cook on Porridge mode, high pressure, 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally, 10 minutes.
- Optional: whisk to break up rice for a creamier texture.
- Sauté mode: stir in condensed milk, almond flour, and nuts. Cook 2-3 minutes. Turn off.
- Garnish with nuts and serve.
Stovetop instructions
- Bring milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven (8+ qt).
- Reduce heat, add soaked rice, sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes until thick and rice is cooked.
- Stir in condensed milk, almond flour, and nuts in the last few minutes.
- Garnish with nuts and serve.
Notes
- If you are not using almond flour and condensed milk you can reduce the milk by a cup. Use 5 cups of milk instead of 6 cups.
- Please refer to the post for the following:
- Tips for making delicious Kheer (Rice Pudding)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to make Kheer vegan / dairy-free? substitute full-fat milk with nut milk like almond milk or full-fat coconut milk.
- Nuts: Some like to use roasted nuts in the kheer. To roast nuts, turn on Instant Pot on sauté mode, and add 1 tbsp. of ghee (or For vegan use oil) and sauté the nuts for about a minute. Remove the nuts and save them for later. Continue with the recipe.
- How to make Kheer nut-free? For a nut-free rice pudding, simply skip all the nuts and the almond flour. Instead, you can use some pumpkin seeds, or chia seeds for garnish. It will still taste delicious.
- How to make Kheer sugar-free? For a sugar-free Kheer, substitute the sweetener of your choice instead of refined sugar and condensed milk. Add the sweetener after the kheer is cooked, at the end.
- Kheer stays fresh in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days.
- Kheer thickens significantly as it cools, thin it with a splash of milk when reheating.
- If kheer looks too thin after cooking, simmer a few more minutes on low heat (or Sauté mode) to reduce further.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)
Amount per Serving
Calories
206
% Daily Value*
Fat
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
3
g
19
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
22
mg
7
%
Sodium
73
mg
3
%
Potassium
320
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
31
g
10
%
Fiber
0.2
g
1
%
Sugar
21
g
23
%
Protein
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
306
IU
6
%
Vitamin C
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
231
mg
23
%
Iron
0.3
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
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