Paneer Kheer Recipe (Easy 25-Minute Indian Dessert)
Creamy paneer kheer made with thickened milk, fresh paneer, cardamom, saffron and nuts. A quick, high-protein Indian dessert that tastes like rasmalai, ready in 25 minutes.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups full-fat milk
- ½ cup (50 g) fresh paneer, crumbled
- ¼ cup sugar ;to taste (see sweetener notes below)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- 2 tablespoons chopped almonds
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
- 1 teaspoon rose water optional (or a few drops of kewra water)
- Dried rose petals or extra nuts for garnish
Instructions
- Crumble the paneer into small, soft pieces with your fingers, and chop the nuts. Soak the saffron in 1 tablespoon of warm milk. Prepping before you start matters because the milk-reducing stage needs your attention.
- Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring now and then. Lower the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping down the sides, until the milk has reduced by about a quarter and looks slightly creamy.
- Stir in the sugar, cardamom, saffron with its soaking milk, and half of the nuts. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves.
- Turn the heat to low and add the crumbled paneer. Cook for just 1 to 2 minutes, only until it is warmed through. Overcooking makes paneer firm and rubbery, so this step is short on purpose.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the rose water, and let it cool a little. The kheer thickens as it sits.
- Spoon into bowls and top with the remaining nuts and a few rose petals. Enjoy it warm, or chill for at least 1 to 2 hours for a rasmalai-style dessert.
Notes
- Use fresh or homemade paneer. If store-bought paneer is firm, soak it in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and crumble.
- Reduce the milk before adding the paneer. The creaminess comes from the simmered milk, not the paneer.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve it cold rather than reheating, as reheating can make the paneer dense.
- Condensed milk, Jaggery or maple syrup instead of sugar. Replace some of the sugar with sweetened condensed milk for a richer, sweeter dessert. Jaggery can curdle hot milk, so remove the pan from the heat, let the milk cool a few minutes, and stir it in at the very end. Maple syrup or honey also work if added off the heat; the flavor will be a little different from traditional kheer.
- Sugar-free paneer kheer: Use a suitable sugar substitute according to its package directions. The flavor and texture may vary depending on the sweetener.
- Nut-free. Skip the nuts and garnish with rose petals or a little extra saffron.
- Extra richness. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cream or a spoonful of mawa (khoya) at the end.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Paneer Kheer Recipe (Easy 25-Minute Indian Dessert)
Amount per Serving
Calories
271
% Daily Value*
Fat
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
5
g
Cholesterol
31
mg
10
%
Sodium
74
mg
3
%
Potassium
389
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
25
g
8
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
22
g
24
%
Protein
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
316
IU
6
%
Vitamin C
0.3
mg
0
%
Calcium
316
mg
32
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* 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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