Also called rice pudding, kheer is a beloved Indian dessert. It's creamy and decadent, with flavour exploding in the mouth and coating the entire tongue. The rice, as it softens, absorbs the milk and leads to a rich and creamy texture. It's popular during festivals and celebrations and brings warmth and comfort with every spoonful. So make this Easy Milk Sweet Recipe Indian yourself.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup basmati rice
- 1 litre whole milk
- 6 tablespoons sugar or add as required
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- 1 tablespoon chopped or sliced almonds or blanched almonds
- 1 tablespoon chopped or sliced cashews
- 1 tablespoon chopped or sliced unsalted pistachios
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
Directions:
- Rinse the rice a few times until the water comes up completely clean, without any starch. Then soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat water in a bowl and once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and put the almonds in it. Cover and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then peel and slice the almonds. Set aside. And remember, this step is optional. You can skip it if you don't want blanched almonds in your kheer.
- In a pan, take milk on medium heat and let it come to a boil. Keep stirring occasionally so the milk does not stick to the base of the pan and doesnt brown from the bottom.
- Take one spoon of the hot milk in a bowl and add the saffron strands in it. Set aside.
- Once the milk starts to boil, drain all the water out of the rice and add the rice to the milk. Mix well so that it is fully incorporated. Once it's mixed, reduce the flame to low heat and let it continue cooking and simmering. You don't need to cover the pan while the rice is cooking.
- Cook till the rice is half done. Then add the sugar. The amount of sugar you add will depend on the taste and how sweet you want it to be. Mix until the sugar has dissolved fully. Keep stirring occasionally. Continue to simmer till the rice is almost cooked.
- Now, add the green cardamoms, almonds, cashews, or any other nuts and flavours you want. Also add the saffron infused milk. This step is also optional. You don't need to add anything if you want a plain kheer.
- Keep stirring and cooking till the rice has cooked completely.
- Then turn off the heat. The kheer will continue to thicken a bit. As it cools, it thickens more. Scrape the milk solids that have accumulated on the sides and push them back into the kheer.
- Now add the raisins, rose water or any other toppings you want.
- Pour the kheer into individual serving bowls and serve it hot or chilled. The leftover kheer can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 2 days. If sitting in the fridge has made it too thick, add a spoon or two of milk and reheat until warm and of the desired consistency.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- It's best to use basmati rice for the kheer, since it has a fragrant aroma that adds to the dish’s overall allure. If that's not available, any long grained or regular rice will also do.
- If you have the time, it's best to soak the rice overnight. This way, the cooking time of the kheer will reduce and you’ll have a creamier kheer.
- If the rice starts to form lumps in the milk, don't panic. Simply break apart the lumps, and perhaps add a bit more milk. That should do the trick. To prevent lumps from forming in the first place, remember to keep stirring.
- If you want things to be quicker, you can blanch the almonds in the microwave too. Simply add some water in a microwave safe bowl, drop in the almonds, and heat for 3 minutes. Then they are ready to be peeled. Or, you can omit the step of blanding almonds altogether.
- The amount of sugar, dry fruits and nuts you use all depend on your personal tastes and preferences.
- You can add cocoa powder or chocolate pieces to the kheer to make it a chocolate flavoured kheer too.