Indian Rice Pudding

Close-up shoot of rice pudding with pistachios and raisins.

5 from 2 votes

Indian Rice Pudding or Rice Kheer with basmati rice, saffron, pistachios and raisins, a delicious dessert full of big flavours. It's very easy to make with a few handful ingredients, and it's a real treat for everyone in the family.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 707kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

½ cup basmati rice
4 cups milk
½ teaspoon saffron strands
¼ cup caster sugar
3 cardamom pods
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped pistachios

Instructions

Rinse the rice with plenty of cold water until the water runs clear.
In a large pan set over a medium heat, add the milk, saffron strands and cardamom pods slightly split and bring it to a boil.
Bring the heat to a low to medium, add the rice and give it a good stir.
Leave it to simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is nearly tender.
Add the sugar and raisins, and continue to cook it until the rice is cooked through, and there is still some liquid left.
Add the chopped pistachios, remove the pan from the heat, but still keep a lid on for 2-3 minutes so the rice can soak up all the flavours.
Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Make sure you use a non-stick pan, as the milk and rice can make the pan quite hard to clean up afterwards.
If you have extra time, you can soak the rice in cold water for up to 30 minutes, that will make the rice quicker to cook and creamier.
You can also add ghee or butter to the milk when it first boils, this will make the pudding really indulgent and extra flavourful, but that's completely optional.

Nutrition