Instant Rice Pudding (Kheer) is an Indian origin dessert. It’s made with rice, milk and sugar. Cardamom, saffron and nuts like almonds, cashews and pistachios are added to bring out the flavours of this dessert. The sweet and delectable taste of sweet milk is enhanced by cardamom, nuts and saffron.
Kheer has many religious significance. It is often served as temple offerings. The word ‘kheer’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘kshira’ which stand for milk.
The earliest mention of kheer is mentioned in the fourteenth century Padmavat of Gujarat https://people.smu.edu/hist2390/2020/06/29/kheer-an-essential-dish/#:~:text=The%20first%20mention%20of%20kheer,and%20food%20are%20for%20India.
This milk based sweet dish is also called ‘payasam’ in the southern part of India. Different provinces or states have their own version of this sweet dish. In the northern Indian state of Kashmir for example, kheer is made with broken rice and is called ‘phirni’. For Sindhi people its called Kheerni. In Hyderabad, you will find Gil-E-Firdaus. Rice is often substituted with semolina, vermicelli, dals (lentils), sweet corn or wheat. Instead of sugar, kheer is also made with jaggery or any other sweetener of choice. Kheer can be served hot or cold, depending on the climate and liking.
This Instant Rice Pudding (Kheer) is made in an InstantPot.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash and soak rice water a large bowl filled with water and keep aside for 20 minutes.
- Chop nuts and keep aside.
- Soak saffron in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of milk.
- After 20 minutes, set Instant Pot on Saute mode. Add the chopped nuts along with a tsp. of ghee and fry nuts for a minute. Remove nuts into a small bowl and keep aside.
- Now add about 1/2 cup water to the Instant Pot (to prevent burning) and after 2 minutes, add drained rice and milk to the instant pot. Mix well. Switch off Saute mode and close the lid.
- Change the setting to Porridge mode for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, switch off and wait for pressure to release. (Alternatively, you can set the Instant Pot mode to Pressure Cook Mode for 20 Minutes).
- After pressure is released naturally and the float valve drops, remove lid. Add sugar, saffron milk, fried nuts and ground cardamom to the kheer.
- Mix well and set IP on Saute mode and let it boil for a few minutes to thicken. Let the kheer cool for a few minutes and serve. You can also cool and refrigerate kheer for about 4 to 5 hours and serve it cold.