Authentic Kheer Recipe
Kheer is a very popular Indian sweet/desert. It is also known as payasam. This sweet is a type of wet pudding in the Indian subcontinent.
The word kheer comes from Sanskrit word for milk named ksheer. It was the part of ancient Indian diet. Normally it is made by boiling milk along with sugar or jiggery & rice.
Infect rice can be substituted by daal, bulgur wheat, sabudana (sago), millet, carrot, vermicelli etc. Typically it can be flavored with desiccated coconut, cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, almonds, or other dry fruits and nuts etc. It is often served as a dessert. It can be served hot as well as chilled also.
As we all know kheer is mainly prepared from milk, rice & sugar or jaggery. Above them milk is an excellent source of vitamins & minerals.
It also provides potassium, B12, calcium, vitamin A, magnesium, zinc, thiamine (B1) and vitamin D. On the other hand rice is a rich source of carbohydrates.
As sugar supplies glucose to brain & provides energy to cells around the body. There jaggery is also a great source of energy.
It purifies body & prevents anaemia. In that case rice kheer helps in bringing back the glycogen which is used up while doing heavy exercises.
Kheer is simply delicious, comforting, creamy & rich. This recipe of kheer/rice pudding is easy to prepare & it requires only a handful of basic ingredients. Today we are going to make basic rice kheer. This Indian dessert is made for festivals & celebrations. But you do not need to wait for it. Enjoy cooking!
- Preparation time – 5 to 7 minutes
- Cooking time – 20 to 25 minutes
- Serves – 4 person
Ingredients to make Kheer:
- 1 liter milk (full fat)
- ¼ cup rice
- 80 to 100 grams sugar/jaggery
- 1 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter
- 2 tablespoon cashews
- 2 tablespoon raisins
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
For garnishing:
- Sliced almonds
- Sliced pistachio
- Saffron
- Cardamom seeds
Method to make Kheer:
- Wash and soak rice for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Soak saffron in
- In a thick bottom or non-stick pan add milk and let it come to boiling temperature. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add soaked rice to it and mix well.
- Cook at low flame until rice is cooked. Stir occasionally. It may take 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a small pan heat ghee and roast cashews & raisins to it. Drain and keep a side.
- Mash the rice slightly to make kheer creamy.
- Add sugar or jaggery to it and again boil at low flame. Stir well. Boil until the sugar dissolves & kheer becomes creamy.
- Add roasted cashews & raisins to it. Mix well.
- If you want to serve it hot, transfer in serving bowl & garnish with almond slices, pistachio slices, saffron & cardamom.
- Otherwise let it come to room temperature & then refrigerate it until chilled. Then transfer to serving bowl & make garnishing.
Kheer Recipe Tips:
- Soaking rice is necessary for making cooking process of rice fast.
- Instead of sugar/jaggery you can also use condensed milk.
- You can use your choice of rice. I used basmati rice.
- Always boil milk at medium to low flame to avoid burning of milk.
- Make sure to check the consistency of kheer in case you want to serve it chilled. As it thickens once cooled.
