Kheer – Indian rice pudding (sugarless)

India – easy to love, impossible to forget. That’s my personal perception of this wondrous land. Rice pudding is one of my favorites. Absolutely delish kheer I tried in the “Blue City” Jodhpur. It was cooked with so much love, so that I could never forget it:)

“Traditional cardamom-scented Indian rice pudding owes its particular richness to the inclusion of whole milk, which has been reduced by half during the cooking process to produce a thick, creamy base”.

For the vegan version you can use coconut milk instead of whole, and add a few strands of Indian lightly crushed saffron. No sugar in my recipe, as milk and dried fruit are already sweet, but you can adjust sweetness to your preference.

       Ingredients

1/2 cup basmati rice
6 cups whole milk (replace with coconut milk for vegan kheer)
seeds from 5 cardamom pods, pounded to a fine powder
handful black raisins
handful dried cranberries
toasted cashews and pistachios to garnish
dash of ground cinnamon (optionally)
dash of ground cloves (optionally)

       Method

Rinse the rice under running water until water runs clear. Drain. Bring the rice, milk, and cardamom to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so that the milk is gently simmering. Cook about 45 to 50 minutes, stirring often. Once the milk is reduced by half and rice is tender, stir in the raisins, cranberries and cook for a few more minutes. Turn the heat off and cover with a lid. Ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle with a dash of ground cinnamon and cloves. Garnish with cashews and pistachios. Serve either chilled or warm.

Bon Appétit!