Rice kheer aka chawal ki kheer was one dessert that my mom made in our home on a regular basis growing up. No celebration or festival was complete without a bowl of kheer. In fact, whenever we wanted to have dessert, we would beg mom to make either atta halwa or rice kheer. It is the quintessential Indian dessert that every Indian grows up eating because it needs only a handful of ingredients. Flavored with cardamom, nuts & rose water, kheer is the best way to finish off an Indian meal.
A lot of Indian desserts are made with milk and milk products. In fact, if you take any of the popular Indian sweets like rasmalai, burfi, or kheer, they all have milk products in them. The reason is that milk was very easily available to the common Indian population and so people used them in several forms to make treats. My grandmother would cook the milk for hours and make peda and kheer whenever we visited her during our summer vacations.
Kheer is Indian rice pudding made with rice. However kheer can be made with other things as well like tapioca pearls, carrots, almonds etc. I love all variations but if you are looking for a classic Indian dessert, then it doesn’t get better or more authentic that a bowl of rice kheer or chawal ki kheer as we would call it in Hindi.
Common Flavor Additions
A simple rice kheer that my mom made was always made with only rice, sugar and milk. But there are many ways to flavor it, in fact my recipe also uses some of these flavor enhancers.
- Cardamom: it is the most common spice added to flavor the kheer and also my favorite. I never make my kheer without it.
- Rose Water: a splash of rose water goes a long way in giving the kheer that flowery aroma. Add it towards the end for the aroma to linger on.
- Saffron: this was not used commonly in my home. But if you are making kheer for a special occasion then you can add some strands of saffron. It will give the kheer a floral and sweet aroma and flavor/
- Nuts: I personally love nuts in my kheer. I usually add cashews and almonds. I like raisins too, but my husband isn’t a fan so I don’t usually add them.
- Kewra essence: it’s an extract distilled from pandanus flowers and used to flavor lot of Indian dishes and desserts. I add it sometimes, but it is completely optional.
- Vanilla extract: this wasn’t traditionally used but I like using it in my kheer sometimes.
Type of rice to use
I have made this kheer with basmati rice since that’s what I usually have in my pantry. In my home, kheer was made with a short grain rice called “kala namak”, it’s a popular rice variety in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where my family is from.
Some people prefer kheer only with short grain rice like gobindobhog, so it comes down to a personal preference. If you prefer short grain rice and only have basmati rice in hand, mash some of the rice with the back of your spoon or use a spice grinder to crush it a little.
My recipe makes kheer in the traditional way, on stove top. It takes some time to cook kheer the traditional way, but the result is worth it. A quick and easy way to make kheer is using the Instant Pot where you dump everything in the instant pot and let it cook on the porridge mode. There are also some hacks to make kheer quickly like using cornstarch to thicken it or using condensed milk.
Let’s Make Rice Kheer
- Soak the rice before tossing in ghee
Wash the rice until the water turns clear and then soak it in water for around 20 minutes. Toss it with a little ghee and green cardamom pods after draining the water.
- Boil the milk
Keep stirring at regular intervals so that milk doesn’t get stick to the bottom of the pan. Remember to use a heavy bottom pan else the chances of milk getting burnt is high.
- Cook the kheer on low heat before adding sugar
After the milk comes to boil, I lower down the heat and let the kheer cook for around 25 minutes on low heat until it becomes creamy and the rice is completely cooked. Then add the sugar as per your taste.
- Stir in nuts and flavoring agents
Add nuts of choice and any flavoring agent that you like at this point. The commonly used ones are rose water, kewra extract, cardamom powder, and vanilla. You can server kheer hot or cold, I personally love it chilled, straight from the refrigerator.
Manali’s Tips
- To make this kheer vegan, swap the regular milk with almond milk or oat milk and follow the rest of the recipe as it. Also skip the step of sauteing the rice with ghee. Or you can use nondairy butter for this step.
- Use whole milk to make the kheer, it makes the kheer richer and creamier. I would not recommend using low-fat milk for this recipe.
- This kheer recipe uses ¼ cup of rice for 1 liter of milk. You can use 1/3 cup of rice for a thicker kheer. Keep in mind that kheer thickens considerably as it cools down so adjust the consistency and ratio of rice and milk accordingly.
- Use a heavy bottom stainless steel pot to make this kheer recipe. Kheer tastes better when made in a steel pot and the thick bottom prevents the milk from sticking to the bottom.
Kheer Recipe (Indian Rice Pudding)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup rice, 50 grams , I used basmati rice or use ⅓ cup for a thicker kheer
- 1 teaspoon ghee, also known as clarified butter
- 3-4 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
- 1 liter whole milk, 4 cups
- 4-5 tablespoons sugar, 50-62.5 grams , adjust to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped nuts, I used chopped cashews & almonds
- 1 & ½ teaspoons rose water, optional
Instructions
- Rinse ¼ cup basmati rice (50 grams) until water turns clear. Then soak the rice in 1 & ½ cups of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes are up, drain the water using a colander and set the rice aside. You can use 1/3 cup of rice if you prefer a thicker kheer.
- Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Then add 1 teaspoon ghee to it and then add the soaked & drained rice to the pan. Also add 3-4 green cardamom pods (crushed).
- Toss the rice with the ghee and cardamom for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until aromatic. Then add 1-liter whole milk to the pan and stir well. Set heat to medium-high.
- Let the milk come to a boil, this will take around 10 to 12 minutes. Keep stirring in between with a spatula so that the milk doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the milk has come to a boil, lower the heat to low and let the kheer cook for around 25 minutes on low heat. Stir every 2 minutes or so. The milk will reduce considerably after 25 minutes, and the kheer will look thick, and the rice will be completely cooked. If you want super thick kheer, cook for 15 more minutes at this point.
- Now, stir in 4-5 tablespoons sugar (according to taste) and mix. Also add 3 tablespoons nuts (chopped).
- Cook the kheer for 5 to 10 more minutes after adding the sugar and nuts. The sugar should dissolve completely. Don't worry if your kheer doesn't look very thick at this point. It will continue to thicken as it cools down.
- Remove the pan from heat. Stir in 1 & ½ teaspoons rose water (if using). Garnish with more nuts and serve the kheer warm or chilled. I love mine chilled and serve it after chilling it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.
Instant Pot Kheer
- To make the kheer in the Instant Pot, add ¼ water to the instant pot followed by milk, rice, sugar and cardamom pods. You can also add saffron or vanilla if you like. You can also stir in the nuts now or sauté them in ghee in a separate pan and add later.
- Close the lid (make sure the rings is completely clean else milk might curdle). Press the porridge button and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and give the kheer a stir. Add rose water (if using). Press the sauté button and let the kheer simmer on sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools down. Serve hot or chilled.
Notes
- Leftover kheer and can kept in the refrigerator for 2 days. Reheat on stovetop as it might become too thick after sitting in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi and thank you for a very detailed recipe.
It turned out great. I doubled the rice and only used 2 pints of full Fat milk. My husband is diabetic So I didnt add all the sugar. Also my daughter is not keen on nuts so I gently sautéed nuts and raisins in ghee in a small pan so they were crispy and fried and had this on the side for anyone who loves nuts… Me! 😁
haha I love nuts too! glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Tried and tasted super good 👍🏻
awesome!
Do we need to fry the nuts before adding it in the kheer
you most definitely can
I tried this recipe and it was very delicious! Plus, it was very easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. Thanks for sharing your recipe ☺️
glad you liked it Fiona
Hi!
Do you, at some point, remove the cardamom pods or leave it in? Do they dissolve?
Thank you.
they don’t dissolve and I don’t remove them either. Just don’t bite into them when eating if you don’t like biting into them 🙂 you can also use cardamom powder if you like and skip the pods
To make this vegan, could I use a plant based milk? Do you have a suggestion of which might be best?
try this recipe: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/almond-milk-rice-pudding/
Hi!
Can I use ground cardamom powder instead of seeds? If so, how much would you recommend?
Thanks!
start with 1/4 teaspoon, taste test and add another 1/4 teaspoon if you want
Hello MAnali ,
If the kheer is to watery should I just keep on boiling till the desired consistency is reached ?
don’t make it too thick as kheer thickens as it cools down
Hello Manali ,
Also I wanted to know if I make three times the receipe the timings will be multiplied by 3 right ?
Thanks
Jui Buch
there will be 3 liter of milk in that case so yeah it would take more time to reduce
hello Manali,
I saute the rice in ghee after soaking them. When I added the same to milk the ghee started floating at the top . Is this normal ?
Thanks
it’s very little ghee just 1 teaspoon, shouldn’t matter in the end. And no the kheer should not have any floating ghee on top.
thanks
Hi Manali,
Made your recipe, as everyone demanded it for a midnight sweetness, after having made it like four times, becoming our family favourite from the first time.
Regards,
Cameron
glad to know 🙂
can you use both rose water and saffron>
you may
Absolutely perfect…nit even joking, better than some restaraunts’ rice puddings that I’ve had.
awesome 🙂
hi Manali made it as per ur reciepe n Wow it turned out superb! Thank you so much!
Can you please tell me how many days can we keep it in the fridge to keep it sort of fresh?
bye n thanks!
it should be good for 3 days in the fridge!
Thank you for this easy to follow recipe. I followed the directions exactly, I didn’t have rose water so I made it without and used the thicker method and it came out EXACTLY the way I like my Kheer. I’ve tried it at every Indian Restaurant in my area (Seattle) and this tastes just like my favorite one and is miles better than any other restaurant Kheer.
Next time I will use Rose water and I imagine it will be even better if that is even possible!
so glad you liked it! 🙂
Looking forward to trying this! Can this be made the day before and chilled?
yes absolutely
Hi Manali,
I used your recipe and it was nice and easy. The only thing is that my kheer became gloopy and solid. I think it’s because I didn’t add enough milk. Can milk be added and then the kheer reheated once it’s cooked? Thanks
Rice absorbs milk so yes kheer does quite thick as it cools down. Absolutely add more warm milk when you re-heat it
I love all ur recipe…. sounds interesting, will try some of them soon.
I made your instant pot version from your cookbook…absolutely delicious! It was so good my husband and I finished it all in one sitting!
so glad Mona!
Seems delicious! Is there a way to substitute the Ghee? I don’t have any available.
regular unsalted butter
Thanks for sharing your recipe! Made this for the first time today and the outcome is as you said. I tried the extra thick and creamy version, with 4 cardamom pods. Didn’t believe so little rice could form the right texture and the right amount of pudding but it did! Since I didn’t have a heavy pan, my cooking time was 10 mins longer to bring the milk to a boil as I didn’t wish to burn the bottom. I also used 3 tablespoons of white sugar just so the guests could adjust the flavour if they wanted to. I wanted to have pistachios at first but your recommendation with cashew nuts worked just as well! I really think rose water is mandatory. I don’t like rose water that much but without it this dessert would be flat somehow, so I’m glad to follow your recipe! Thank you again for sharing 🙂
welcome! 🙂
Hello Manali, how many whistles (very Indian question!) of the pressure cooker do you think this will need to cook? Thank you in advance.
sorry never cooked kheer in regular Indian pressure cooker. I cook it in my Instant Pot which is an electric pressure cooker and it has a porridge button which gives it quite a creamy consistency. Maybe try 2-3 whistles and don’t add all milk at once. Then once the pressure releases then add remaining milk, sugar and simmer until is reaches desired consistency.
Do you cook it with lid on?
no not needed
not sure what I did wrong, but after I let the rice cool, it soaked up all the liquid and was no longer a pudding, just an overdone mushy rice blob. Used basmati rice and did not soak for 20 min – was short on time so just rinsed it.
not sure either, this is how kheer is made and yes it definitely thickens as it cools but it should not be a blob of rice, maybe you didn’t add enough milk as specified
If using evaporated milk, how much to use for the same amount of rice as suggested in your recipe?
maybe 2 cups?
Can I use Cardamom spice if I don’t have the actual pods?
yes powdered cardamom is fine
how much powdered cardamom would you suggest? and do we put it in at the same point in the recipe?
use 1/4 teaspoon and add more if you feel like it. Add at the end so that the aroma stays!
Amazing recipe – a simply delicious dessert!
Absolute delicious! I made it for my parents today and it was a big hit 🙂
glad to know
Ohh I see…
Can we make it without adding too much milk?
you can adjust the consistency to preference
Tried Kheer for the first time, Amazing!
Love all kinds of kheer and this simple one is my favourite! (Skipped the rose water though since I don’t like the smell) Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Manali, can we use this recipe to make a brochure for our rice brand?? We can also promote this blog and your other social media..
No , you can’t. I don’t want the promotion, thanks.
Hi I dont have rose water, can I substitute with a few drops of rooh afza?
no, just skip
Can Rice kheer be made with Already cooked rice?
you can try, I have never seen it being made in my home that way and I don’t make it that way either 🙂
Thank you for your recipe for rice kheer by Manali, and for including nutrition info. But, how much is one serving? 1/2 C? more?
Thanks!
probably 1/2 cup
You have been a savior for me in this time. I could cook so many Indian delicacies at home which I never imagined. Today is Kheer day!
Really love your recipes, they are so easy to make and very well explained.
Tank you Manali 🙂
you are welcome 🙂 I am glad to know!
Just made this and it’s delicious and exactly what I was craving after having rice pudding at Indian restaurants. I was low on whole milk so I replaced 1.25 cups milk with coconut milk. I didn’t have cardimom so u used a few dashes of gram masala seasoning along with cinnamon and allspice… You don’t need much. I used 4tbsp sugar and it was perfect. Will make again.
Garam Masala is not a sub for cardamom…. Although it does contain some amounts of it, but the rest of the spices will alter the flavor profile. if you dont have cardamom, skip it or try just with cinnamon instead. .. my 2 cents 🙂
I absolutely love all your recipes. Can this be made with fat free milk for a Healthier version?
Thanks Pooja. You may but it just won’t be creamier like how kheer should be 🙂
Hello,
Do you mean 1 litre or 1 pint for this recipe?
1 litre sounds a lot for only 50g basmati?
No I mean 1 liter/1000 ml only. That’s how kheer is made, it requires very less rice, the rices gets cooked with the milk and makes it creamy and thick.
I would like to take a moment to say thanks for this recipe. I applied every suggestion you made to me making this Rice Kheer. I tell you this pudding turn out a success. It tastes better than all the Rice Kheer I ever eaten in my favorite Indian restaurants.
Thanks for the simple recipe. It came out very well!
you are welcome!
Delicious. Thank you.
Happy new year from Reunion Island
Delicious. My first time making kheer, because my local restaurants always get something wrong. Next time I make it, I’ll put the rice in the milk 30M later so it stays more solid, but otherwise I’m pleased. Certainly pleased enough tha I’ll never pay a restaurant what may be over 10× my cost.
Thank you, Manali, for sharing your absolutely delicious kheer recipe! Because it is a favorite dessert, we try it each time we visit a new restaurant and often judge the restaurant by their kheer. We prefer it slightly less sweet, so 2 Tbsp of sugar was just perfect for us, otherwise we followed your recipe exactly. Your version was so splendid that after just one bite we bought your cookbook and can’t wait to start on your other recipes.
Thank you for the comment. I also like mine less sweet, and ended up using unsweetened almond milk instead of whole milk with 3 Tbsp of sugar. It tastes awesome!
Do you have 3 qt instant pot version of this recipe? TIA
Yes I have a IP version in my cookbook! Not on the blog unfortunately
this pudding is my best dessert and very indian dish i have tryed has been an amazing adventure for me,it looks really great i love this dish and every indian dish i have tryed has made me love india more and more.thanks i will try your twist
welcome!
Could rice Kheer be made with coconut milk or coconut cream?
yes should be good with coconut milk
Do you have an instant pot version of this recipe?
I do! but it’s in my cookbook and unfortunately I can’t share it on blog due to copyright issues.
My wife makes a very nice rice pudding that we’ll have either warm or cold. We recently had Kheer on a cruise and it was delicious with a slightly different flavor from the one we make. So simple yet scrumptious. We also had Carrot Halwa another Indian dessert that if you can get past the carrot color for a dessert was also outstanding.
Yes kheer is delicious and often flavored with cardamom and nuts 🙂 You have to try Gajar Halwa made with red carrots in Delhi during winters to really taste what a good gajar halwa should taste like 🙂
I made your recipe last night for a baby shower potluck at my job. I used Cuban black sugar (cane sugar) per my preference and I had to use 2 cans of evaporated milk because I only had a half liter of whole milk. I add a bit of water to compensate for the thickness of the evaporated canned milk and I put a bit too much cardamom by accident. With all these changes and mishaps it was absolutely devinely delish! This recipe is a keeper. Oh yeah I only had kasori rice, so I used 2/3 cup instead of 1/3 cup and I think from now on i will use this instead of basmati.
any Indian occasion is incomplete without it..lovely
This is a lovely recipe Manali! I like the way extras can be added in. Years ago I tasted a very light but delicious rice dessert from Chennai. It contained raisins and a variety of distinctive spices for flavouring . It too was made with Basmati rice and served warm. It was less firm than your recipe.
Would you happen to have an idea of the spices used in that type of dessert? Thanks!
Hi Fiona! Hmm another dessert made with rice is phirni but that’s actually more firm. My guess it must have been kheer only (also known as payasam in south India) but it must not have been cooked to a thick consistency. You can always adjust consistency to preference. Yes raisins are commonly added to kheer/payasam and my guess about the spice – cardamom would have definitely been there. Saffron/rose are other possible options. Hope that helps!
Nutmeg is also used with Kheer/Payasam. It induces sleep which in turn helps digestion of heavy/rich food,