Rice Kheer Recipe is an age-old traditional Indian pudding. Here is a tried and tested chawal ki kheer recipe of my family.
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Kheer – The Indian Pudding
Kheer is a creamy, luscious, purely vegetarian, gluten-free Indian milk pudding. The rice kheer is one of the most common types of dessert made on every auspicious occasion. Also, known as chawal ki kheer. ‘Chawal’ is the Hindi term for rice.
My Mom’s Rice Kheer Recipe
On a festive morning, while gliding around the kitchen skillfully completing the remaining chores, my mother would simultaneously prepare her signature rice kheer with – rice, milk, and sugar.
While the kheer bubbles and simmers calmly in the pot, she takes out a box full of dry fruits from the wooden cabinet in the kitchen. She thinly slices them manually for the kheer. The expensive spices like saffron, and edible flowers are never part of her kheer recipe, still, it has a delicious taste.
The secret behind her delectable rice kheer is the organic buffalo milk, handpicked tukda basmati rice, both sourced from the local farmer’s market and the last, slow cooking process.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rice: The broken basmati or the tukda basmati is what I use to make an aromatic kheer. You can use any short – medium grain rice like Jasmine, Gobind bhog, Jeera Samba, Sharbati, or any other similar variety of rice.
- Milk: Full-fat cow or buffalo milk along with cream (malai) is the soul of a good kheer.
- Sugar: You can add either granulated white sugar or jaggery powder.
- Green Cardamom Powder: For a subtle aroma and taste.
- Ghee: To fry the rice and nuts
- Nuts: Almonds, pistachio, cashews, chironji, raisins. You can add a combination of either of these nuts.
How To Make Kheer
Step 1) Rinse the rice till the water runs clear. Soak for 20 minutes.
Step 2) After 20 minutes, drain all the water from the soaked rice. Heat ghee in a pan. Add rice, and fry for 3 – 5 minutes to soften the rice.
Step 3) Add milk, and cardamom powder, stir and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Now, slow cook the kheer till the rice is soft, and the milk is thick.
Step 4) Once the texture of the kheer turns creamy, add sugar. Stir and simmer the kheer till the sugar is completely dissolved.
The rice kheer is ready!
Additional Toppings for Rice Kheer
- Heat ghee in a small pan. Add sliced nuts and dried fruits. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes without burning.
- Pour these ghee-fried nuts over the rice kheer before serving. They give a delicious crunch to the kheer.
My Tried and True Tips
Tip 1: Picking the Right Rice: In my view, the best rice for kheer is medium grain white rice. Avoid using long-grain rice like basmati for making rice kheer, as it does not have enough starch. Brown Rice or any rice with husk is also not my first choice for making any authentic kheer.
Tip 2: Uncooked Rice: Many readers in the past asked me about using cooked/steamed rice for making Indian kheer. I strongly said ‘NO’. The rice has to be slow-cooked in milk for a desired creamy texture.
Tip 3: The Milk: Prefer using full-fat, organic cow or buffalo milk for making rice kheer. You can use non-dairy milk like coconut or almond for a vegan kheer.
Tip 4: The Right Time To Add Sugar: The sugar is always added towards the end of the cooking process. If you add sugar at the beginning of the process the cooking time gets double and the milk does not thicken properly.
Tip 5: Stir and Slow Cook: While slow-cooking kheer, continuously stir it using a ladle at regular intervals. You can use the slow cook mode of an instant pot as well for making a delicious bowl of rice kheer.
Tip 6: Consistency: This kheer firm up as it cools. Hence, adjust the consistency accordingly. Do not thicken it too much while cooking. Otherwise, after a few hours, it will become a thick, semi-solid goop.
More Indian Kheer Recipes
- Lauki Kheer
- Paneer Kheer
- Seviyan Kheer
- Badam Kheer
- Gujarati Doodh Pak
- Apple Quinoa Kheer
- Bengali Orange Kheer
more Indian kheer recipes for all festive celebrations.
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Rice Kheer Recipe
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ Cup white rice (short to medium size)
- 1 litre full fat milk
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ½ Cup white granulated sugar or to taste
- ¼ Cup pistachio and almonds, sliced
Instructions
- To prepare the rice kheer, rinse the rice with water 2 – 3 times or till the water runs clear. Soak the rice in enough water for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, drain all the water from the soaked rice. Transfer rice to a colander to drain all the water.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a heavy bottom kadhai or casserole. Add rice, saute for 3 – 5 minutes, or till the grains of rice turn translucent.
- Add milk, cardamom powder, stir to avoid any lump formation and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let the milk simmer. Keep on stirring the rice at regular intervals.
- The whole process of slow cooking the rice in the milk takes about 30 – 40 minutes on a low flame. Continuously stir the kheer while it is simmering to avoid sticking it to the bottom of the pan. Also, scrape the sides of the pan and add this layer of cream into the kheer.
- Once the rice is cooked and the kheer is thickened, that is the signal it is ready. Add sugar, mix, and allow the kheer to simmer for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining ghee in a small pan. Once hot, fry the sliced pistachio, almonds, raisins, chironji for 1 minute or till slightly brown. Pour this over the prepared rice kheer.
- Serve Rice Kheer warm or chilled garnished with saffron and dry fruits.
Recipe Notes:
- The best rice for kheer is medium grain, uncooked white rice. Do not use pre-cooked or instant rice for making kheer.
- You can make rice kheer in a slow cooker as well.
- The rice kheer firm up as it cools. Hence, do not make it too thick otherwise after cooling down it will become like a semi-solid pudding.
- Adding saffron to the rice kheer is optional. You can add it for sweet aroma and beautiful colour.
- Rice Kheer is best enjoyed warm. Store the leftover rice in a refrigerator for 1 week. Heat in the microwave and add a splash of water to loosen it up. It reheats very well.
Namita says
Hello Hina,
You have the art of making ordinary look extraordinary. Our humble kheer looks so glamourous in your pictures. I loved reading your post and recollections of childhood.
Hina Gujral says
Thanks Namita for taking time out and sharing such kind words. I am so happy that you enjoy reading our posts.
Ruxana says
wow this is delicious!
Unnati Silks says
This looks super tempting and inviting!!
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Hina Gujral says
Thanks dear
Preeti says
Looks delicious.So tempting.Will cook for my mom and surprise her.Thanks for sharing this recipe. late night food delivery
chennai foodbag says
Wow..amazing delicious…
Juhi says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Looks really delicious!
Hina Gujral says
thank you, Juhi for your valuable feedback!
Chandni says
Hi just superb and perfect measurement s
Hina Gujral says
thank you for such sweet feedback!