Kheer recipe – Rice kheer is a one pot traditional Indian sweet dessert made for festivals & celebrations. Chawal ki kheer or rice kheer is a traditional rice pudding made for most occasions in Indian homes. Kheer and payasam are the terms used interchangeably and both are derived from the sanskrit terms “ksheer” & “payasa” both meaning milk. Rice kheer is made with full fat milk, rice, sugar and cardamom powder.
Though there are many kinds of kheer, the one made with rice is most common one. This is similar to the rice payasam made with jaggery in the south.
We make kheer at home during festive occasions. Most times with jaggery and sometimes with sugar.
To make rice kheer, many people prefer basmati rice since it makes the dish very flavorful. The rich, creamy and delicious taste comes from simmering the milk on a low heat for some time.
If you are new to Indian cuisine, these FAQ may help you.
What is kheer?
Kheer is a traditional Indian dessert made using milk, rice and a sweetener. Instead of rice it can also be made with other ingredients like vermicelli, sago and even with carrots. But rice kheer is the traditional one.
Kheer is made by simmering rice in full fat milk until it is cooked. Then it is sweetened and flavored with cardamom powder. It is garnished with nuts and raisins.
Which rice is used?
Most commonly basmati rice is used to make kheer as it lends a fragrant & delicious aroma. However in different regions of India, different kinds of rice are used which are grown locally.
So feel free to use any normal rice if you do not have basmati rice.
Stovetop rice kheer
1. Keep your ingredients ready. We will need about 4 cups or 1 liter of full fat milk. 1/3 to ½ cup of sugar, ¼ tsp cardamom powder, ¼ cup basmathi rice, you can also use any other rice. Nuts as desired. You can also use sweet raisins.
2. Wash and soak rice for about 30 mins. This helps to cook the rice quickly. Drain and set aside.
3. While the rice soaks, you can blanch the nuts in hot water and peel off the skin. Chop them and set aside. OR Alternately, you can just use some roasted cashews and skip blanching nuts.
How to make kheer
4. Pour 1/4 cup water or grease a heavy bottom pot. This helps the kheer from getting scorched at the bottom. Then add milk and bring it to a boil on a medium flame.
5. When it turns hot or comes to a boil. Add drained rice.
6. Keep stirring often to prevent burning. Keep the flame on low to medium.
7. Cook until rice is soft and slightly mushy. You can mash it with a spoon and check.
8. Add Sugar. You can add more or less to suit your taste.
9. Lower the flame and cook until the kheer thickens. You will have to scrape the sides and stir often.
10. Add nuts and cardamom powder. Stir and cook for 5 mins. If adding raisins just do it towards the end. Do not cook after adding them.
11. When it reaches a thick but of runny consistency switch off the stove. It thickens upon cooling down.
Garnish rice kheer with nuts before serving.
Can I use jaggery to make kheer recipe?
Yes kheer can be made with jaggery. There are 2 ways to add jaggery. The first method is to bring down the temperature of the kheer first and then add the powdered jaggery.
The second method is to make a jaggery syrup first, filter to remove impurities and then cool it down completely. Just stir it to the cooked milk & rice
Kheer in Instant pot vs regular pot
Making it in a regular pot does take some time & it needs continuous stirring to prevent the milk from getting scorched at the bottom.
But making kheer in Instant pot is a breeze as all you need to do is just dump the ingredients in the pot & press the button.
I have been making it more often ever since I started to use instant pot. All I do is just put the ingredients & turn on the porridge button.
The color of the instant pot kheer would be slightly golden due to the caramelization of sugar and it is just normal.
I have also made it a couple of times with jaggery. Once the rice and milk are cooked, cook on a saute mode until it reaches the desired consistency. Then stir in the grated jaggery. Do not cook further as jaggery curdles the milk.
Related recipes
Semiya payasam
Badam payasam
Sheer khurma
Sabudana pudding
Moong dal payasam
Kheer recipe | How to make rice kheer
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 4 cups milk (for instant pot 2½ cups milk) (refer notes)
- ¼ cup water (avoids burning)
- ¼ cup rice (basmati or any rice)
- 6 to 8 tablespoons organic sugar (6 tbsps for moderate sweetness)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or elaichi (about 2 to 3 pods)
- 10 cashews or blanched almonds chopped
- 10 pistachios chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoon sweet raisins (optional)
optional
- 1 tablespoon ghee optional for frying nuts
- 1 pinch saffron or 1 tsp edible rose water
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash rice a few times & drain completely.
- Chop the nuts & set aside.
How to make rice kheer
- Pour ¼ cup water to a large heavy bottom pot. This prevents kheer from getting scorched at the bottom.
- Then pour milk & bring to a boil.
- Keep stirring the milk often to prevent the fats getting stuck to the bottom.
- Add drained rice and begin to cook on a medium flame until the rice is soft, completely cooked and lightly mushy.
- Keep stirring often to prevent the milk getting scorched at the bottom.
- Stir in the sugar and continue to cook until the rice kheer turns thick.
- Keep stirring often in between to prevent burning.
- Add cardamom powder, rose water and nuts. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn off when the rice kheer reaches a desired consistency, slightly runny.
- Kheer thickens once it cools down. Garnish rice kheer with more nuts and serve.
- Optional – Most people don't like ghee in their kheer. You can also skip this. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan and fry the cashews until golden.
- Then add raisins and stir until they turn plump. Remove them and set aside.
Instant pot kheer
- Press the saute button.
- Optional – add 1 tablespoon ghee or butter to the inner pot of the Instant pot. Fry the cashews until light golden. Then add raisins and fry for 30 seconds. Remove to a plate.
- Pour ¼ cup water to avoid burning and then pour milk.
- Then add rice & sugar to the inner pot of Instant pot.
- Mix all of them together. Secure the lid of the instant pot.
- Position the steam release handle to sealing. Next press the porridge button.
- Set the timer to 18 mins. When it is done press cancel & switch off. Wait for the pressure to release naturally.
- When the float valve drops, open the lid and add cardamom powder & rose water. Stir well.
- Rice kheer will be runny at this stage. Give a good stir.
- For a thicker consistency you cook on saute mode for a few mins until thick. It will thicken further after cooling.
- Transfer kheer to serving bowls & garnish with nuts & raisins. You can also chill the rice kheer and serve.
Notes
- Nuts: Some people prefer to blanch the nuts & use. You can just skip frying the nuts & blanch them instead. Here is how to do it the blanching.
Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Then add nuts and soak for about 10 mins. Peel off the skin and pat dry. Chop them as desired. Alternately, you can just use some dry roasted cashews. - Milk for Instant pot version: This recipe can be made even with 2 cups of milk. It will taste like a normal pudding and not a rich kheer. To get the rich, creamy & authentic taste use about 2.5 to 3 cups of milk. Evaporate & thicken the excess milk on a saute mode once the pressure releases.
- This recipe has been tested in a 6 qts Instant Pot. You may optionally add 2 whole cardamoms & a pinch of saffron along with rice for extra flavor.
- Adding a bit of ghee first to the instant pot prevents the milk from getting scorched.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
I always make Kheer in Slow Cooker (8 hrs on low),
add sweetened condensed milk on 7th hour.
The brownish color & amazing taste
reminds me of
the special Kheer in Terracotta Big Vessel
(cooked on slow heat of cow dung patties burning for similar time duration)
couriered on RMS from Jalandhar City to Delhi
for her son-in-law (‘s favorite)
by my maternal grandmother in 50’s.
Typical rural traditional recipe
simulated by me on Slow cooker
with exception of condensed milk sweetener.
Some reminiscing.
Thank you Swasthi Ji.
Blessings & Best Wishes
Hello Ashwani,
Thank you so much for the wishes! Glad to know it turned out good.
A Tip:
Chironji / Chiroli (Buchanania Lanzan) is a seed, which tastes great in sweet dishes works great in Kheer as well.
Typically, I use 1/2ed Cashews, sliced Almonds w/o skin, Chironji, finely cut Pistacio
Saffron, Raisins intermittently.
My experience with raisins, in the quantities cooked in the USA is not that grate. Because of the warmth & liquid around, they puff up & the juices start oozing from the stem whole despite adding at the last moment (you did mention, after cooling a bit).
This juice tend to separate the milk and changes the taste of the kheer with time. Particularly, when the leftover kheer from refrigerated (last time) is heated. This situation worsens.
So, I started a different method.
Every time serving, (freshly made or reheated refrigerated),
I will take few raisins, puff them in hot water and add during individual plating.
That’s the Raisins story.
Yes as you said some times raisins do that. So it is best to add them while serving. Thanks for sharing your method, helps others
I am following your recepies and its help me to cook better. Thanks
My mother made a similar recipe but is of German ancestry. The only difference was cinnamon instead of cardamom. Always a favorite with us. I will try cardamom next time. I always use raisins but will try nuts too.
Hi Bev,
That’s nice to know! Yes give this a try.
🙂
This is the first time I made a eggfree rice pudding. I am a non-Indian so didn’t have ghee. Used butter for frying nuts and cardamoms for flavor. Tasted great! But does it make a difference to use ghee. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Angela
Glad to know! Usually for kheer butter or ghee is not used. It tastes good even without it. I have just mentioned it as an option since a lot of people like frying the nuts in ghee. The flavor is different. Thanks for leaving a comment
So glad I found this recipe. So delicious.
Thank you Mis
Hi I use a ninja foodi instant pot and the only setting is Pressure cook . Do I do it at high or low temp for cooking it
Hi,
Set it at low pressure for 10 mins. After the pressure releases, evaporate on saute mode to bring to consistency.
Absolutely delicious! Followed the steps for making on the stove and couldn’t stop licking the spoon while making it
I only added 3 tbsp of sugar though, and was the perfect sweetness for us
Thank you!
Hi Habiba
You are welcome! Glad it turned out good. Thank you!
Made this for my Indian mom and she keeps asking me to make it again and again! So glad to be able to use the Instant Pot instead of leaving a pot on the stove for as long as I’ve needed to in the past. I double the recipe every time because I like having it around in the fridge for a few days. Amazing both warm and cold.
Thank you Alex
So glad to hear that!
Turned out great! I cooked it a bit too long so it was thicker than it should have been but still delicious. Next time, I will cook it less. Also, I used only 5 tablespoons of sugar and it was plenty sweet.
Hello Bina,
Glad to know! It thickens after cooling. Good to turn off when it is of runny consistency.
Thank you!
I love the kheer…it awesome…. Follow the steps…it come perfect
Thanks Bindu
Hi,
I want to make for 8 people..Can you please help me with the quantity of ingredients used for 8 people..
I will be making it in a normal pot..
Awaiting for your reply:)
Hi Tinaaz
You can double the recipe to make for 8 people. If you do not have so much milk, then use 2 cups water and the rest milk. Hope this helps.
Will doubling the recipe with 2 cups of water and 3 cups of milk work in the instapot?
Yes it works. But it won’t be so creamy & delicious. 4 cups milk and 1½ cups water is better.
Hi Swasthi,
I love all ur recipes and i hve tried some of it.
I wanted to knw, why we use rose water?? Does it give a special flavour? Coz in the picture description the rose water is missing, so i was thinking should i add or not..
Hello Jaya,
Thank you! Rose water does add flavor but cardamom powder is good enough. I usually don’t add anything else other than cardamom powder.
Very delicious
Thank you
You are welcome!
Delicious and easy. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Hi Cora,
You are welcome. Glad you liked it!
Hi!
This is the first time I tried a recipe from your blog. This rice kheer is amazing. We had rice kheer a couple of times in an Indian restaurant. My family of 6 wished to have it last night. It was delish! I am very much in love with your blog & excited to try your other wonderful recipes. I have also subscribed to your newsletter. Thank you!
Cheers!
Belinda
Hi Belinda,
Happy to know you love the blog! Thank you! Glad your kheer turned out delicious. Hope you enjoy the other recipes too. Thank you so much!
🙂
We bought a new Insta pot and wished to make a dessert. This kheer turned out great. However my kheer was golden in color. Did I do something wrong? But the taste was fantastic. Is it the milk or anything else? I am new to cooking. Please help me understand.
Hi Niya,
I am very sorry. I just forgot to reply you. Glad you liked the kheer. It is normal for the kheer to turn golden or even light brown when made in IP. When the milk is cooked in instant pot the color changes. I also tried it several times by adding sugar later after the pressure releases but it was almost the same. But infact adding the sugar along with milk and rice makes the kheer more delicious. So you can just ignore the color. Thanks for the comment.
No problem at all Swasthi. Thank you. I wanted to make sure I haven’t done anything wrong. Can you please direct me to a chicken curry recipe in IP?
Hi Niya,
You are welcome. I haven’t posted a IP chicken curry yet. I will be doing it soon.
Thank you!
This was my first time making kheer from scratch, and my family loved it! Thank you! I made it in the instant pot and was a little worried as when it came out, the consistency was pretty thin. But after simmering for about 10 mins it was pretty much perfect. I love the taste, and will never use the instant packets again!
Hi Amanda,
You are welcome. Glad to know your kheer turned out good. This can be made with just 2 cups milk in the instant pot. I always feel the taste of kheer enhances when it is simmered further for a few minutes. As the milk thicken the taste of kheer is better. I will put a note in the recipe card. Thanks for the comment.
🙂
I made a few adjustments to mine. I made mine dairy-free (a mix of almond and coconut milk/cream), didn’t put in the nuts or raisins (my mom can’t have any right now) and added 1 tablespoon of rose water to the cardamom. It was absolutely delicious! It took me back to my childhood where I had Kheer several times a month at the local Indian restaurant. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi Arielle,
You are welcome. So glad to know your kheer turned out good. Yes rose water adds more flavors to the rice kheer. Thanks much for rating the recipe.
🙂
I made the rice kheer in instant pot. Absolutely fantastic! Will be making it again so convenient to make for breakfast as i put the timer.
Hi Shane,
Thank you so much for the comment. Glad you liked it.