Rice kheer
Simmer measured rice in milk, stir until tender and add sugar near the end for a small Diwali rice kheer.
- Active prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Yield
- 6 small dessert bowls
About 70 minutes total elapsed time, including 15 minutes for soaking, resting or cooling. Times are estimates; chilling for cold service and preparing already boiled ingredients require additional time where noted.
Rice kheer is a milk-based dessert for a Diwali meal or a small offering where your household follows that practice. Rice cooks slowly in milk and gives the dessert body as it softens. A heavy pan, gentle heat and regular stirring help prevent scorching; decide early whether you want to serve it warm or leave extra time for chilling.
Ingredients
- 1 litre whole milk
- ¼ cup short- or medium-grain rice
- 4–5 tbsp sugar, adjust to taste
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp chopped nuts (optional)
- A few saffron strands (optional)
- Water for rinsing and soaking rice
Method
- 1
Rinse rice until the water is less cloudy, then soak for about fifteen minutes and drain. Keep the milk, sugar and flavourings measured.
- 2
Bring milk to a gentle simmer in a heavy pan. Add drained rice and lower the heat so it bubbles steadily without boiling over.
- 3
Cook for about thirty-five to forty-five minutes, stirring regularly and scraping the base and sides. Check that a grain crushes easily before judging the thickness.
- 4
Add sugar and cardamom once the rice is tender. If using saffron, soak it in a spoonful of warm milk from the pan and return it to the kheer.
- 5
Simmer briefly to combine, add optional nuts and switch off the heat. Keep it slightly looser than the final texture because it thickens as it cools.
- 6
Serve warm at a comfortable temperature or cool in small shallow containers and refrigerate promptly for a chilled dessert. Chilling takes additional time beyond the listed soak and cooking estimate.
Helpful tips
- If rice is still firm, continue gentle cooking rather than adding more sugar.
- For a guest avoiding dairy, use a recipe designed for their preferred milk alternative instead of assuming identical cooking behaviour.
Estimated nutrition per portion
1 small bowl (one sixth of the finished batch). Calculation yield: 6 equal portions.
- Energy
- 168 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrate
- 23.4 g
- Fat
- 5.6 g
Uses the lower 4-tablespoon sugar option and whole milk at 3.25% fat. Excludes optional nuts and saffron. Divide the cooked batch equally into six bowls; reduced water changes bowl weight, not the batch total.
Ingredients and calculation method
- 1 litre whole milk, modelled as 1,031.4 g at 3.25% fat (USDA 244 g per US cup) — USDA NDB 01077
- 50 g dry short-grain rice (¼ of the USDA 200 g cup) — USDA NDB 20452
- 50.4 g sugar (4 tbsp at 12.6 g per tbsp) — USDA NDB 19335
- 1 g cardamom (½ tsp) — USDA NDB 02006
Calculated from ingredient weights × nutrient values per 100 g, summed and divided by 6. Assumes the base ingredients remain in the batch; water loss changes weight. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory results. Brands, portions, substitutions and cooking losses can change actual values.
Source: USDA Standard Reference 28 food-composition data (ZIP). US volume measures are used where stated. Only calories and macronutrients are estimated; no micronutrient or dietary claims are made.
An optional variation
Less-sweet rice kheer
About 151 kcal per bowl, compared with 168 kcal for the portion in the calculation above. Estimates use the same USDA ingredient data and exclusions.
- Keep the milk, rice and cardamom quantities above. Measure 25.2 g sugar (2 level US tablespoons) instead of 50.4 g.
- Follow the same method, adding the measured sugar after the rice is tender. Expect a less-sweet result; cardamom adds aroma without extra sugar.
- Divide the finished batch into 6 equal bowls. Extra sugar, nuts or milk require a new estimate.
This is a lower-calorie portion option, not a weight-loss promise. A calorie deficit depends on your overall energy intake and expenditure. Enjoy sweets alongside balanced meals; do not skip meals to compensate.
Understand calories and energy balancePlan ahead
Choose warm or chilled service before building the menu. Allow extra refrigerator time for chilled kheer, keep dairy-based leftovers cold and label nuts clearly. Reserve a small offering according to your family’s practice before serving the rest.
Common questions
Can I replace rice with vermicelli in these instructions?
Vermicelli cooks much faster and needs a different method and quantity. Use this version for rice kheer; do not simmer vermicelli for forty-five minutes.
Why is kheer thicker after cooling?
Rice absorbs liquid and the milk mixture sets more as it cools. Stop at a slightly loose serving consistency and adjust cooled kheer with a little suitable milk if needed.