Kheer Recipe (Rice Pudding)

Kheer is an Indian dessert that everyone in the subcontinent loves. Its rich creamy texture and subtle sweetness make it an ideal treat during festivals and celebrations or on special occasions. It is enjoyed chilled or warm, evoking comfort and joy with each spoonful. Though its original form is passed over generations, the variations that cropped up over the years make it a versatile dessert for all kinds of tastes.

Origin of Kheer Recipe (Rice Pudding)

Kheer is one of those Indian dishes that have a history of ages. It has been written about in almost all the ancient scriptures and texts. It has its origin during the period of Vedas. The south called it ‘payasam’ and the northern as well as the western parts referred to it as ‘kheer’. The traditional preparation has always been made on happy occasions and served as prasad in temples. The combination of three basic ingredients: rice, milk, and sugar made the dish healthy but ceremonial and nourishing as well, and so was also presented as godly food at its time.

It is prepared on the occasion of big events like Diwali, Eid, Holi, and Ganesh Chaturthi. It is also prepared in the wedding season, family events, and other gatherings. The ingredient list is not long, but the richness comes from cardamom sweetness, saffron fragrance, and crunch of nuts.

Ingredients of Kheer Recipe (Rice Pudding)

This is a traditional kheer recipe that requires ingredients easily available in any kitchen. So, it can be prepared by both novices and experts in the kitchen. What you will require are as follows:

Rice: For preparing kheer, traditionally one requires short-grain rice or basmati rice. Such types of rice soak well with milk and give a creamy texture after being cooked.
Whole Milk: It is full-fat milk that gives richness to kheer. Rich creamy texture with the use of whole milk goes with one of the demands from such a pudding.
Sugar: Since time immemorial, kheer mainly had sugar for its sweetness; jaggery or other types of sweetening have been resorted to sometimes for giving this pudding a slightly different taste.
Cardamom Pods: Whole cardamom pods or powdered cardamom provide the kheer with an extremely pungent flavor and aroma. It is the most important spice used in any Indian sweet preparation.
Saffron: Saffron provides kheer color along with a specific floral taste. Although highly recommended because its presence gives the much-needed luxury texture and flavor to kheer.
Dry Fruits: Garnish with cashews, almonds, pistachios, or any dry fruits of your choice. They provide texture, flavor, and an extra dose of nutrition to the kheer.
Rose or Kewra Water: Add a few drops of rose or kewra water to give the pudding that fragrance and old-school flavor.

Step-by-Step Process for Preparing Traditional

Kheer Recipe (Rice Pudding)

Although the making procedure of kheer is quite simple, cooking the rice in milk very slowly to attain a smooth creamy consistency is indispensable. Here is the stepwise process of making traditional kheer.

Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients

– **Rinse the Rice**: Wash the rice with cold water removing extra starch on it. Otherwise, the kheer can become too sticky.
-Soaking the Saffron: In case you are using saffron, soak its strands in a little warm milk. This way, the color and flavor get released more efficiently.
Chop the Nuts and Dry Fruits: Chop those nuts like cashews, almonds, or pistachios into small pieces; soak raisins in warm water, so that they plump up.

Stage 2: Cooking the Rice

1. Boil Milk: Pour milk in a big, heavy bottomed pan or vessel and keep on a medium flame to boil. Stir at times to ensure the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and gets burnt.
2. Add Rice: As the milk is getting boiled, decrease the heat to low, and add the washed rice in the milk and mix the rice slowly with the milk.
3. Boil the Mixture**: Add rice and milk. It will take nearly 25-30 minutes and won’t let it stick together. The softness in it is because the milk that soaked into the rice makes the mixture thick.
4. Scrape the Cream: Scrape off all the thick rich layer of kheer that has risen on the pan’s sides and add it back to the milk. These are to be added to its richness and increase the thickness of kheer.

3. Infusion of Flavour in the Kheer

1. After the rice is cooked, milk is thicker and then cardamom in powder form is added, smashed whole cardamom pods, or cardamom powder which mixes well.
2. Add sugar and Soaked Saffron strands to Kheer Now add sugar and soaked saffron strands to kheer. Let it mix so that sugar dissolves and saffron gets equally mixed throughout it. You may reduce or even increase sugar level as per preference, if one does not find sugar too abundant in kheer.
3. **Simmering Second Time**: The kheer must be given a simmer, for the second time about 5 to 10 minutes till all flavors go inside and also kheer becomes thick by itself.

Step 4: Gift and Presentation

1. Adding Nuts and Dry Fruits: Add crushed nuts, almonds, cashew, and dry fruits in the kheer. Set aside a little as a garnish at the end.
2. Add Rose or Kewra Water (Optional): If it is desired for that flavor, a few drops of rose water or kewra water can be added to the kheer. It totally is optional, but brings back the tradition for a delightful flavor.
3. Serve Chilled or Warm: You can serve it warm or chilled. In case you like it cold, cool it down to room temperature, refrigerate for some hours before serving. It will set further once cooled.

Add additional nuts or dried rose petals for a nice presentation. You may serve in small bowls or cups for an entertaining dessert time.

Variations of Kheer Recipe (Rice Pudding)

The basic kheer recipe is pretty much the same, but regarding regional preference and ingredient usage, the variations are countless. Here is a few of the most widely used from the lot of others:
Sabudana Kheer : This dish is prepared using sago pearls or sabudana and is extremely popular during fasting periods; it’s light yet satisfying.
– **Carrot Kheer (Gajar ki Kheer)** : Kheer is prepared from shredded carrots mixed with milk and rice. It is given a nice flavor and color to it.
Mango Kheer: Mango pulp of ripe mango is added to kheer when mango is in the season. The dish is highly seasonal and very refreshing.
– **Coconut Kheer**: In south India, kheer is prepared by using coconut milk or grated coconut. This causes a flavor of kheer to be little different from other kheer.

Health Benefits of Kheer

Kheer is actually a rich dessert, but health benefits are involved if it’s made with full-fat milk and nuts and dry fruits are added. These will give vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats to the body. Various health benefits include the spices used-cardamom and saffron. The former is helpful for digestion and the latter has antioxidant and mood-booster properties.

The crunch of a nut like almonds, cashews, or pistachio will enhance the fiber and healthy fats along with antioxidants, making it a better bargain, but it’s well known that kheer is a calorie-dense one; hence it is best used as an on-and-off product rather than on a daily basis.

Conclusion
The creamy texture along with sweet happiness has more to do with the tradition associated with kheer rather than what dessert brings home. It is that simple a recipe, so adaptable and full of flavor, so it remains to be one of the favorite dishes of most homes during any festival or even as a treat. Kheer always leaves for your amazement, warming the taste as rich whether done at a festival or a general treatment. So do try the very old recipes. Have cardamom-scented fresh fragrance with each visit to saffron-reliant long old appetising dishes.

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