Kheer Recipe - Creamy Indian Rice Pudding with Cardamom & Saffron

Why This Recipe Works

Kheer is India's answer to rice pudding — except it's better in every way. Where British rice pudding is plain, one-note, and stodgy, Kheer is perfumed with cardamom, gilded with saffron, enriched with nuts, and has a texture that ranges from creamy porridge (served warm) to set custard (served chilled). It's served at every Indian temple, every dinner party, every festival, and every celebration — from Diwali to Eid to a simple Tuesday evening when someone wants something sweet after dinner. "Kheer recipe" is one of the most consistently searched Indian dessert terms globally, and it searches year-round (unlike seasonal desserts like Gajar Ka Halwa or Falooda).

The technique is ancient and meditative: wash rice, add to boiling milk, and stir gently for 25–30 minutes while the rice softens, the milk reduces, and the two merge into something that's more than the sum of its parts. The slow reduction concentrates the milk sugars, creating a natural sweetness before you add any sugar at all. At Pick N Save, we stock every component: Tilda Basmati Rice (the best rice for kheer — the extra-long grains absorb milk beautifully while remaining distinct), Freshways Whole Milk, TFS Premium Spanish Saffron, TFS Green Cardamom, and every nut and dried fruit for garnishing. We also stock condensed milk (for the shortcut version) and Gits Kheer Mix for the instant approach. We've been supplying kheer ingredients for Harrow's celebrations and dinner parties since 1999.

Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: Prepare the Rice and Saffron (5 Minutes)

Rinse 50g of basmati rice (Tilda Basmati Rice 5kg — about 3 tablespoons) in cold water 2–3 times until the water runs mostly clear. Soak the rinsed rice in cold water for 15 minutes while you prepare the other components. Soaking softens the outer layer of the grain so it breaks down faster during cooking, releasing starch that thickens the kheer naturally. Drain completely before using.

Soak 8–10 saffron strands (TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 1g) in 2 tablespoons of warm milk. Within 5 minutes, the milk will turn deep golden-orange and develop the unmistakable saffron perfume. Set aside — this goes in near the end.

Step 2: Boil and Reduce the Milk (25 Minutes)

Pour 1 litre of full-fat milk (Freshways Whole Milk 2L — use half) into a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Full-fat milk is non-negotiable — the fat content is what gives kheer its creamy richness and luxurious mouthfeel. Semi-skimmed or skimmed milk produces thin, watery kheer with none of the character. A wide pan is preferred because more surface area means faster evaporation.

Bring the milk to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent it catching on the bottom. The moment it begins to rise, reduce the heat to medium. Add the drained, soaked rice. Stir gently.

Now comes the patient part: simmer the rice in the milk on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring every 3–4 minutes. Three things happen during this time:

1. The rice softens and breaks apart — each grain absorbs milk, swells, and eventually splits, releasing starch into the liquid
2. The milk reduces — water evaporates, concentrating the milk solids, fat, and natural sugars. The milk transitions from white and thin to cream-coloured and thick
3. The cream skin forms and dissolves — each time a skin forms on the surface, stir it back into the kheer. This skin is concentrated milk fat and protein — stirring it in adds richness and body

After 25 minutes, the kheer should have reduced to roughly half its original volume. The consistency should be like thick, pourable cream — not as thick as porridge (it thickens further as it cools). Individual rice grains should be visible but soft — mashable between your fingers with zero resistance.

Step 3: Sweeten and Flavour (2 Minutes)

Add 80g of sugar (Tate & Lyle Sugar Granulated 1kg) — or adjust to taste. Add the sugar after the milk has reduced, not at the beginning. Adding sugar too early slows the evaporation process and extends the cooking time. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely — about 1 minute.

Crush the seeds from 5–6 green cardamom pods (TFS Green Cardamom Jumbo 50g) to a coarse powder. Add to the kheer. Pour in the saffron milk (the golden-orange infused milk from Step 1) and stir gently — the saffron creates beautiful golden streaks through the pale cream kheer. Add 1 teaspoon of rose water (KTC Rose Water 450ml) if desired — optional but adds a delicate floral note that's traditional in special-occasion kheer.

Step 4: Add Nuts and Serve

In a small separate pan, heat 1 teaspoon of ghee (KTC Butter Ghee 500g). Add 1 tablespoon of cashew halves (Fudco Cashew Nuts Jumbo 700g), 1 tablespoon of sliced almonds (Uthra Almonds 700g), and 1 tablespoon of raisins (Fudco Green Raisins 700g). Fry for 1–2 minutes until the cashews are golden and the raisins puff up. Add half the fried nuts to the kheer and stir. Reserve the other half for garnishing.

Serve warm or chilled — both are traditional:

• Warm kheer (winter style): Ladle into small bowls immediately. Garnish with the reserved fried nuts, a few pistachio slivers (Fudco Pistachio Kernels 600g), 2–3 saffron strands laid across the surface, and a light dusting of ground cardamom. Warm kheer has a flowing, pourable consistency.
• Chilled kheer (summer style / dinner party): Let the kheer cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2–4 hours. As it chills, the kheer thickens and sets into a creamy, custard-like consistency. Garnish just before serving. Chilled kheer is the version served at dinner parties and temples.

Kheer thickens as it cools — if the chilled version is too thick, stir in 2–3 tablespoons of cold milk before serving to loosen it to your preferred consistency.

Pro Tips from Our Store

• Basmati rice, not pudding rice: Tilda Basmati Rice produces the best kheer because the extra-long grains absorb milk beautifully, remain slightly distinct (not mushy), and release just enough starch to thicken the kheer naturally. Short-grain or pudding rice produces a stodgier, more porridge-like result. Use only 50g (3 tablespoons) — this small amount might seem too little, but the rice swells dramatically and the milk is the star, not the rice.
• Soak the rice — it makes a difference: 15 minutes of soaking reduces the cooking time by 5–8 minutes and produces more evenly cooked rice. Soaked grains absorb milk from the inside out, resulting in creamier, more fully integrated kheer. Unsoaked rice takes longer and can have a slightly chalky centre.
• Stir every 3–4 minutes, not constantly: Constant stirring cools the milk and slows the reduction. Stirring every 3–4 minutes is enough to prevent catching and to fold in the cream skin that forms on the surface. Between stirs, the milk reduces faster. When you do stir, stir gently — vigorous stirring breaks the rice grains too early, releasing too much starch and making the kheer gluey.
• Saffron is the luxury that costs almost nothing per serving: TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 (1g pack) costs £3–4 and contains enough strands for 8–10 batches of kheer. That's under 50p per batch — for the most luxurious, visually stunning, aromatically complex ingredient in Indian dessert-making. The golden streaks through pale cream kheer are one of the most beautiful things in Indian cooking.
• Condensed milk shortcut (15-minute version): Replace half the fresh milk with 1 tin of condensed milk (200g). This eliminates the need for sugar and dramatically reduces the cooking time — the kheer reaches the right consistency in 15 minutes instead of 30. The flavour is slightly different (sweeter, more caramelly) but it's a completely valid shortcut for weeknight kheer.
• Kheer improves overnight: Like most milk-based Indian sweets, chilled kheer that's been in the fridge overnight tastes better than freshly made. The rice absorbs more milk, the cardamom and saffron deepen, and the texture becomes more set and custard-like. Make it the night before a dinner party and it'll be perfect when you serve it.

Variations to Try

• Vermicelli Kheer (Seviyan Kheer — Eid Special): Replace the rice with 50g of thin vermicelli (Natco Vermicelli 250g or Bambino Vermicelli 350g), lightly toasted in ghee for 2 minutes until golden before adding the milk. Seviyan Kheer cooks faster (15 minutes), has a delicate, noodle-like texture, and is the traditional Eid dessert made across Muslim households worldwide. Our vermicelli range (6 products) links perfectly here.
• Phirni (Ground Rice — Set Version): Soak 50g of basmati rice for 30 minutes, then grind to a coarse paste (not flour — slightly grainy). Cook with milk for 15 minutes. Phirni sets firmer than kheer when chilled — traditionally served in small clay pots (matkas). It's the Delhi speciality version with a distinctive grainy-smooth texture.
• Makhana Kheer (Fox Nut — Low Carb): Replace rice with 50g of roasted makhana / fox nuts (Fudco Makhana Large 250g). Crush half the makhana and leave half whole. Simmer in milk for 20 minutes. Makhana Kheer is lower in carbohydrates than rice kheer and is popular during Navratri fasting when grains are avoided. The whole makhana pieces add a unique crunchy-then-soft texture.
• Mango Kheer (Summer Fusion): Make plain kheer (skip the saffron), chill, then fold in 100ml of mango pulp (KTC Alphonso Mango Pulp 850g) just before serving. The mango transforms the pale cream kheer into a golden, tropical dessert. Top with chopped fresh mango if in season.
• Instant Pot Kheer (15 Minutes Hands-Off): Add rice, milk, sugar, and cardamom directly to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on low for 12 minutes, natural release 10 minutes. Stir in saffron milk and nuts after opening. The Instant Pot produces excellent kheer with no stirring — completely hands-off. The texture is slightly less refined than stovetop (because you can't fold in the cream skin) but the flavour is identical.

Shop This Recipe at Pick N Save

Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:

• Rice: Tilda Basmati Rice 5kg | Tilda Basmati Rice 2kg | Tilda Pure Basmati Rice 2kg | Kohinoor Gold Basmati Rice 2kg
• Milk: Freshways Whole Milk 2L | Freshways Whole Milk 3 Litres
• Saffron: TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 1g | TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 2g | TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 4g
• Rose Water: KTC Rose Water 450ml
• Cardamom: TFS Green Cardamom Jumbo 50g | Fudco Cardamom Green Bold 50g
• Sugar: Tate & Lyle Sugar Granulated 1kg
• Ghee: KTC Butter Ghee 500g
• Nuts: Fudco Cashew Nuts Jumbo 700g | Fudco Cashew 700g | Uthra Almonds 700g | Fudco Almonds Supreme 700g | Fudco Pistachio Kernels 600g | Fudco Pistachio Jumbo 700g
• Raisins: Fudco Green Raisins 700g
• For Vermicelli Kheer (Eid Special): Natco Vermicelli 250g | Bambino Vermicelli 350g | Bambino Vermicelli 900g | Heera Roasted Vermicelli 200g | Natco Falooda Sev 200g
• For Makhana Kheer: Fudco Makhana Large 250g | TFS Makhana 100g
• For Mango Kheer: KTC Alphonso Mango Pulp 850g | Kesar Mango Pulp 850g
• Instant Kheer Mix (Shortcut): Gits Kheer Mix 100g | Gits Kheer Mix 200g
• Ready-Made Indian Desserts: Haldirams Kheer 400g | Royal Kheer 400g