Kheer (Cardamom Rice Pudding)

Ingredients

• ½ cup Basmati rice, rinsed
• 6 cups 1% milk
• ⅜ cup Granulated sugar
• ¾ tsp Ground cardamom
• 1 pinch Saffron threads
• ¼ cup Pistachios, chopped
• 2 tbsp Raw almonds, sliced
• 3 tbsp Raisins (optional)
• ¼ tsp Kosher salt

Method

1. Bring the milk to a simmer with the rice in a heavy pan. Heavy matters — thin pans scorch milk and there is no recovering from that taste.
2. Simmer 40-45 minutes on low, stirring every five minutes and scraping the bottom, until the rice has broken down and the milk has reduced by about a third. The starch from the rice is the only thickener.
3. Crush the saffron and steep it in a tablespoon of warm milk, then stir it in with the sugar, cardamom and salt in the last 10 minutes. Sugar added early slows the rice down.
4. Stir in most of the nuts and the raisins.
5. Serve warm or cold — both are correct, and it thickens considerably in the fridge. Top with the remaining pistachios.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

Scrape the bottom every time you stir. The caramelized milk solids down there are flavor if they are incorporated and ruin if they are left to burn.

🧒 For the kids

Rice pudding is rice pudding. Serve warm with a little extra milk poured over.

🥡 Leftovers

Keeps 4 days and thickens to a spoonable pudding. Loosen with milk.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.