Fridge Friend Recipes
Rice Kheer (Kheer) recipe
A creamy Indian rice pudding flavoured with cardamom, gently sweetened and finished with nuts and sultanas.
45 min · Easy · Indian Jump to method
Ingredients
- 50 g basmati rice
- 1 litre whole milk
- 75 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 30 g sultanas
- 25 g, chopped blanched almonds
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp rose water
| Nutrition | Per servingEstimated |
|---|---|
| Calories | 419 kcal |
| Protein | 11.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 45.8 g |
| Fat | 20.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 10.1 g |
| Fibre | 1.5 g |
| Sugar | 31.5 g |
| Sodium | 56 mg |
Why this works
A rich, energy-dense dessert with moderate protein from milk but high in sugar and saturated fat, so best enjoyed as an occasional treat.
Calcium from milk. Whole milk provides a useful amount of calcium for bone health, along with some phosphorus and vitamin B12.
Vitamin E and healthy fats from almonds. The almonds add vitamin E, magnesium and unsaturated fats, though the quantity is modest.
Higher sugar and saturated fat. Caster sugar and whole milk/ghee make this a dessert that is relatively high in free sugars and saturated fat.
Method
- Rinse the basmati rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain.
Rinsing until the water is only faintly cloudy removes excess surface starch, which helps the finished kheer stay creamy rather than gluey. Drain well so the grains fry lightly in the ghee instead of steaming.
- Melt the ghee in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat and add the rice. Stir for 1 minute.
Keep the heat at medium rather than high; the rice should look glossy and lightly toasted at the edges, not browned. If it starts to darken quickly, lift the pan off the heat for a moment and stir.
- Pour in the milk and bring slowly to a gentle simmer, stirring often so it does not catch.
Use a very gentle simmer with only occasional small bubbles at the surface, because a rolling boil can scorch the milk and split the texture. Scrape the bottom and corners of the pan as you stir, where catching happens first.
- Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring regularly, until the rice is very soft and the mixture has thickened.
The kheer is ready when the rice grains are completely tender and the spoon leaves a slow, creamy trail through the mixture. If it still looks loose, continue cooking a few minutes longer, as it thickens further on standing.
- Stir in the caster sugar, ground cardamom and sultanas, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes more.
Add the sugar after the rice is soft so it dissolves evenly and does not slow the cooking. Stir until the sultanas look plump and the cardamom smells fragrant, but do not let the mixture boil hard once the sugar is in.
- Spoon into bowls and scatter over the blanched almonds. Serve warm or chilled.
If serving warm, let it stand for a couple of minutes so the texture settles; if chilling, cover the surface closely to stop a skin forming. Scatter the almonds just before serving so they stay crisp and do not soften in the dairy.
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