85 minutes
A rich and flavorful dessert made with milk, rice, cardamom, and pistachios, perfect for a royal treat.
cups
Long-grain Rice
tablespoons
Cardamom Pods, slightly crushed
each
tablespoons
Pistachios, unsalted and slivered
each
Vark, for decoration
to taste
1. Boil Milk with Rice and Cardamom
Start by pouring 4 cups of milk into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add 1 tablespoon of long-grain rice and 4 slightly crushed cardamom pods. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
2. Simmer the Mixture
Once the milk starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer gently. Keep it on low heat for about 1¼ hours, allowing the milk to reduce by half. You'll know it's ready when the milk has thickened and reduced to about 2 cups.
3. Remove Cardamom Pods
When the milk has thickened and is creamy, turn off the heat. Carefully remove and discard the cardamom pods.
4. Add Sugar and Pistachios
Next, stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar and the slivered pistachios. Mix well to ensure the sugar dissolves completely and the nuts are evenly distributed throughout the kheer.
5. Cool and Garnish
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then give it another good stir. Pour the kheer into a serving bowl. If you have vark, use it to decorate the top for an extra touch of elegance. Sprinkle a few additional slivered pistachios on top for garnish.
6. Refrigerate and Serve
Cover the bowl with light plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. The kheer should be cool to the touch before serving.
Steep a pinch of high-quality saffron strands in warm milk for about 15 minutes and add this to your kheer. Saffron will add a beautiful golden hue and a complex, honey-like flavor that complements the cardamom beautifully.
Use a combination of regular milk and coconut milk. This will give your kheer a tropical richness and a subtle coconut flavor that works well with the other ingredients.
Top your kheer with fresh fruits like pomegranate seeds, mango cubes, or berries for a fresh, sweet, and slightly tart contrast.
Add a teaspoon of rose water towards the end of the cooking process. This will impart a floral note that pairs well with the pistachios and cardamom, and is traditional in many South Asian desserts.
Gently toast the pistachios before adding them to the kheer. This will intensify their flavor and add a toasty note.
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