Kheer — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Creamy rice pudding made by slowly simmering rice in sweetened milk until thick and luscious, perfumed with cardamom and rose water, and garnished with slivered almonds and pistachios. A beloved dessert for celebrations.

Ingredients

1/2 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked
8 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
1 tablespoon rose water
Pinch of saffron threads soaked in warm milk

Instructions

1 Wash and soak basmati rice for thirty minutes, then drain completely. This helps the rice cook faster and release its starch to thicken the kheer.
2 Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming and the milk from scorching on the bottom.
3 Add the drained rice to the boiling milk and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for thirty-five to forty minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the rice is completely soft and the milk has reduced to about half its original volume.
4 Add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron milk. Stir well and cook for another five minutes. Add rose water and remove from heat.
5 Garnish with slivered almonds and chopped pistachios. Serve warm or chilled in small bowls, depending on preference. The kheer will thicken further as it cools.

Did You Know?

In Pakistan, kheer is traditionally the first food prepared in a new home and the first dessert served to guests at a wedding. It is considered auspicious and a symbol of prosperity.