Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Kheer

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Kheer is such an unbelievably simple and modest dessert, yet elegant enough to be served at weddings and other festivities.

Unlike western-style rice puddings that usually contains regular white rice, kheer is made with basmati rice – a traditional choice which gives a lovely scent and mouth-watering aroma. The basmati rice is soaked until translucent, then grinded or pulverized until the grains are broken into smaller pieces. This step ensures that your kheer has wonderful texture that doesn’t feel as though you are merely eating cooked rice in milk (which in my opinion is a major turn-off).

The rice is then cooked in milk; you can of course do different variations of this. If you want to keep this vegan, feel free to opt for almond milk, and if you also want a subtly different flavor profile feel free to use coconut milk (which is what I use here) – it’s a fun choice!

To pack extra body into the kheer, I add a little bit of home-made almond paste. I blanch some almonds, remove the skins and pulverize them in a grinder with some water until they are liquid. I add this to the kheer once the rice is almost finished cooking and stir until all the flavors come together.

Lastly, I stir in some cardamom and a splash of rose water and garnish with some chopped pistachios. And there you have it! A traditional, comfort dish that is sure to please at any festivity or week-night gathering.

 

 

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Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup basmati rice
  • 1/3 cup almonds (blanched and peeled)
  • 2 cups milk feel free to substitute with a can of coconut milk
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
  • 1 splash rosewater (optional)
  • 3 tbsp chopped pistachios/almonds for garnish
  • 1.5 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions

  1. Wash the basmati rice in cold water until water runs clear. Soak in a cup of water for a few hours or overnight.

  2. If you are using whole almonds, soak them overnight as well. Then peel the skins off with a spoon.

  3. Using a powerful food processor or grinder, grind the almonds until with a few tablespoons of water until liquid in order to make an almond paste.

  4. Remove and separately grind the rice until it resembles the texture of wet sand. (Grains should be cut into small pieces, but not completely liquefied.)

  5. In a high-sided pot, add in your water. Bring to a boil.

  6. Now add in your rice and allow it to cook. This should take about 10-15 minutes.

  7. Now add in your milk (coconut and regular). Stir frequently and reduce to low heat. Let mixture thicken for about 20 minutes.

  8. Add in sugar. Stir and taste. If you want it more sweet, just add in more sugar.


  9. Stir in your cardamom and rose water. Garnish with pistachios and almonds.