Rice kheer with cardamom saffron and almonds
Lalkila Kitchen · Vegetarian · Desserts · Rice
Kheer can be made for an occasion or simply because a household wants a bowl of rice pudding. This version from Lalkila's archive uses basmati rice, milk, cardamom, saffron and almonds. Let the rice become tender and the milk turn creamy rather than relying on a fixed finishing time.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup basmati rice
- 4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 cup sugar, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed
- 1/4 cup blanched almonds, shredded
- A few strands of saffron
- Water for soaking the rice
Method
- Wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain well.
- Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy pan, lower the heat and add the drained rice.
- Simmer gently, stirring and scraping the base regularly to prevent sticking, until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy. The archive suggests a long, slow simmer; the actual time depends on the pan, heat and rice.
- Stir in the sugar and raisins. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves and the raisins soften.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the crushed cardamom, saffron and almonds. Serve warm, or cool promptly and refrigerate for serving chilled.
Cooking notes
The archive's full cup of sugar makes a sweet pudding. Start with less if that better suits your table and add more to taste. This recipe contains milk and almonds; choose a different recipe rather than assuming a substitution is suitable for every guest.
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Recipe source
Adapted from Kheer in the archived Indian Recipes compilation, page 20. The source does not identify an author for this entry. The raisins listed in the ingredients are incorporated into the method here.
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