For the benefit of everyone, Kheer is a very popular sweet in all over India. It has different names in India itself – in South part of India it is known as Payasam; in Eastern part it is called as Payas, and in rest of India it is famous as Kheer.
In my opinion, Kheer is a very simple, beautiful Indian dessert. It is made up of milk, rice, sugar and dry fruits. There are so many different types of kheer like rice kheer, paneer kheer, sevaiyan kheer, jaggery kheer etc. with each having it’s each unique taste.
There are two different ways to make kheer. First way to make kheer is with cooked rice – it is the quick way.
However I like kheer in a more traditional way – cooking rice in the milk at low flame, stirring occasionally resulting in the most genuine taste !
The ingredients for Kheer are :
- Milk : 1 Litre
- Rice : 3/4 cup
- Sugar : 3/4 cup
- Saffron : 5-6 strands
- Almonds : 7-8 (sliced)
- Pistachios : 10-12 (sliced)
- Raisin : 10-12
- Cardamom : 1-2 (powdered)
Method :
Wash and rinse the rice; soak it for 20-30 minutes.
Soak the saffron strands in 1Tbsp hot milk.
Heat the milk in a big pan and boil it. After rolling boil, add rice in the milk and turn the flame to medium/ low, and stir occasionally.
When the rice has cooked then add sugar and cook for couple of more minutes with occasional stirring.
Crush the soaked saffron in a mortar and pestle or with your fingers to extract the colour and flavour from it and, add it into the milk.
Now add chopped almonds, pistachios, raisins and cardamom powder and turn off the heat.
Your traditional kheer is ready to be served. You may enjoy it hot or cold – believe me, both the versions have different tastes.
Insider Tips / Finer Points :
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The kheer will thicken a bit while chilling in the refrigerator; therefore don’t make the kheer very thick while cooking it.
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You can add a few spoons of lightly sweetened milk if the kheer is too thick for your liking.
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