Celebrate special occasions and festivals with this simple Rice Kheer, a fragrant Indian rice pudding made with a base of basmati rice, whole milk, and sugar!
saffron, crushed pistachios, dried edible rose petalsfor garnish
Instructions
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Then soak the rice for 20 minutes. Once this time is up, drain the rice using a colander.
In a heavy bottom pot, melt the ghee and add the rice. Roast the rice for 1-2 minutes until it's aromatic. This prevents it from turning into mush.
Pour the milk into the same heavy bottom pot. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Simmer the milk for about 10 minutes, being sure to stir every 2 minutes to prevent the milk from burning on the sides and bottom. At the 10 minute point, the milk has reduced by about half. Crush the nuts in a mortar and pestle into small chunks and add them into the kheer along with the golden raisins. Continue simmering.
After another 10 minutes (for a total of 20 minutes), the kheer should have thickened up and the rice grains will be long and a bit puffy. The raisins will be plump. At this point, stir in the sugar and shredded coconut.
You can keep simmering until the rice pudding is thick or keep it on the milkier side. The consistency is a personal choice. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the ground cardamom.
Serve warm or cold with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios, rose petals, and saffron.
Video
Notes
Instant Pot - add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and cook for 20 minutes on the porridge mode. If necessary, use the sauté mode to continue reducing the milk to the desired consistency.