DESSERTS,  EGGLESS,  INDIAN INSPIRED,  PUDDINGS, MOUSSE,  VEGETARIAN

KHEER / INDIAN RICE PUDDING…Special Occasion Food

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”
Erma Bombeck

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Traditional Indian Desserts…KHEER / RICE PUDDING

Here’s one of our great Indian desserts, quite similar to the English rice pudding, & much loved in our part of the world. The earlier recipe for rice pudding that I posted a while ago doesn’t use condensed milk; this one does, and tastes very rich & creamy too. It is a popular egg less dessert, & a great way to finish off a meal. I find the freshly grated nutmeg gives this a warm and comforting flavour. The raisins & almonds are quite optional, & one, or both, can be given the miss if need be.

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Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup (washed & dried)
Milk – 1 ½ ltrs (whole milk)
Condensed Milk – 1 can / 400ml
Saffron strand – 1 pinch
Green Cardamom – 5-6/ seeds crushed in pestle & mortar
Nutmeg – 1/4 tsp / freshly grated
Raisins – 1 handful
Almonds – 1 handful / without skin
Sugar if required

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Method:

  • Grind the rice in a coffee grinder.
  • Bring the milk to a boil, and then simmer it for 30 minutes.
  • Add the condensed milk, stirring it constantly while pouring it in.
  • Soak the saffron strands & cardamom seeds in a tbsp of warm milk.
  • Mix the rice powder in ¼ cup of cold milk.
  • Stir the rice into the simmering milk, stir continuously to avoid lumps getting formed, & bring to a boil.
  • Now once again leave to simmer until rice is cooked, and the kheer/pudding has thickened, like a thick batter consistency. Stir occasionally.
  • Add the freshly grated nutmeg + raisins + almonds and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add sugar if required. I find that the condensed milk adds enough sweetness of its own.
  • Cool till lukewarm, and then set in a big serving bowl, or individual bowls.
  • Chill well, for at least 4-5 hours, or overnight, before serving.
  • Note: Amount of rice required may differ due to starch content in different varieties. If it becomes too thick, thin it down with extra milk. If it is still too thin ( will thicken a bit & set as it cools down), add a tsp on cornflour in a tbsp of cold milk, and give it a boil. Should do the trick!
    Serves 8-10

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This dessert can be made a day in advance, and the work can be further reduced if you grind the rice a couple of days before.festivefoodfairI’m late & not feeling good at all. Anna at Morsels & Musings had a blog event for “special occasion food”. I did so want to send this one in because its a nice pudding, which has easily available ingredients, & is a hit with family and friends. Sadly, I missed the bus ‘ coz I muddled up the dates. :0(….will send it in anyway, just so Anna knows I tried!

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‘Special Occasion Indian Food’…the Kheer or Rice Pudding!

About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.

9 Comments

  • Susan from Food Blogga

    Hi Deeba-What type of rice do you use–basmati, jasmine? I was just wondering if you prefer one over another. I love rice pudding. And I’ve made an Italian version with Arborio rice which is also creamy and satisfying. Delicious!

  • Manggy

    Argh! I totally need a coffee grinder!! Here in the Philippines we have a mortar and a giant pestle to grind rice with, but nobody does that in my urban area 🙂 That sounds sooo honestly good, deeba 🙂

  • Cynthia

    Hi have a serious weakness for rice pudding. You do not know how much self control it is going to take not for me to head to the kitchen and start making this. Seriously 🙂

  • PASSIONATE BAKER....and beyond.

    Susan, I use the regular long grained basmati. I wash the rice, & dry it on a flat ceramic platter in the microwave for 2 minutes. Just as a shortcut.
    Hi Manggy,tell you what. Once you was the rice & drain it,its always very brittle. Just give it a good crush with bare hands…will work too till the grinder arriveth!
    Thanks Cynthia :0),the dilemmas we bloggers have to deal with! Cheers

  • PASSIONATE BAKER....and beyond.

    Sorry Manggy…finger trouble. I meant wash ;0(.Aaaaaaaargh from me too. U sound just like Garfield! Honestly, there was a time aaaargh used to be my fave exclamation, then it changed to BAH…& now grrrrrrrrrrr!!!

  • Andaliman

    I made once a Lebanese rice pudding, muhallabia. The difference is, by adding rose water. Thank you for sharing the recipe

  • Laurie Constantino

    This looks very tasty – and I am a rice pudding lover. Thanks for the easy to understand directions. (And I love your Erma Bombeck quote!)

  • Arfi Binsted

    oh so you grind the rice first? that’s an option to make the pudding is softer in texture, i suppose. great idea! that looks creamy!

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