Kheer/Pal Payasam (Indian Rice Pudding)

Kheer/Pal Payasam (Indian Rice Pudding) by DK on Oct 14, 2009

How to make Kheer ( Indian Rice Pudding Recipe)

Just like Halloween is unthinkable without Pumpkins, so is an Indian festival without this Kheer. "Kheer" in Hindi denotes sweet pudding commonly referring to Rice Pudding. Although there exists myriad varieties, this rice pudding rules the roost. You might even call it the King of the Indian sweet puddings. Any celebration, any traditional function and what more, even for day to day entertaining this Rice pudding finds its way into the menu. It is also known as "Pal Payasam" in the South of India - "Pal" denotes milk and "Payasam" is for Pudding.

Unlike most of its counterparts, this is one Indian sweet which is very simple and easy to make. In fact bringing out the richness and elegance with simplistic of ingredients is what makes it numero uno in my opinion. The slow cooking of the milk along with rice creates that delicious thick rich flavor. Though it takes time to prepare, there exists multitude of quick versions which make life so simple. If you have say only 20 or so minutes and you need to make this sweet, then simply pressure cook rice with milk for 2-3 whistles (takes about 10 minutes in small pressure cooker). Now pour this in another saucepan, add condensed milk, sugar and nuts. There you have it :)

But try the following method at least once. Its totally worth it if you have never made it. This is most loved pudding in my family and especially my father is a die-hard fan of this sweet. I could not help but miss him terribly while making it in my kitchen miles away! You can make it as sweet you want. I prefer very mild sweet hence added only 2-3 tbsp but you can add more if you want to. My recipe is in no way different from many of them available on the net although I use short grained / medium grained rice. I think this is more suited than the Basmati rice which is asked for in many recipes.

Cook time: 30 min to 1 hour
Prep time: Under 15 min
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

1/4 cup short/medium grained rice
4 cups whole milk (go for low fat only if absolutely necessary)
sugar to taste - I used 3 tbsp ( 1/4- 1/2 cup should be enough )
pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1-2 tbsp nuts ( I used almonds, pistachios and cashews)
4-5 raisins (or more if you like it)
1 tsp Ghee (preferred more than butter)

Method

1. In a saucepan, heat the ghee. Add the chopped nuts along with raisins. Set aside when raisins get plump and nuts turn reddish brown.

2. In the same pan, roast the rice for 2-3 minutes in low heat.

3. Now add the milk. Increase the heat to med-high and let it come to a boil

4. Give it an occasional stir so that the milk does not stick to the bottom. Non stick pan works great for this. Also take care not to let the milk burn. Even a little burn spoils the milk. Add sugar and give it a stir.

5. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the milk has reduced in half. Keep stirring often. You know its done when the milk has reduced and also the rice has cooked and is soft (not mushy). This process takes approximately 20-30minutes.

6. Add rest of the ingredients - saffron, cardamom and half of the roasted nuts.

7. Give it a stir until combined and serve garnished with the remaining nuts.

You can serve it hot or cold.

The pudding thickens with time - you can rectify it by adding more warm milk to it.

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4 Member Reviews

By Kshama on Oct 12, 2013

I made this recipe. Its super easy and delicious !

By elli on Jun 18, 2013

I made with coconut oil when roasting rice and also used only cashews rather than all diff kinds of nuts... Followed the rest step by step....quadrupled recipe so cook time is a little longer..Turned out beautifully!!! Now I dont have to spend tons of $$ for it at my local Indian restaurant....for a family of 6 great price to make such an amazing dessert that all my kids adore!!! Thank you :) $\"heart\"$

Read All 4 Reviews →

103 Comments

By Mariko on Jan 14, 2018

My husband adores kheer, but hates raisins! Is there a good substitute, or should I just eliminate the fruit? I was thinking maybe something like chopped dried apricots?

You can easily skip the raisins. Or, you can even try other subs depending on what is liked. Start with just few pieces and experiment. :) --DK

By Rick Swanson on Aug 15, 2017

I would like to have permission to use your photo of Kheer. I am working on a press release for a Pop Up Potluck at the Historical Society of Cheshire County, NH. Here's a draft of the press release: Pop Up Potluck! Family Recipes from the Old Country The Historical Society of Cheshire County is hosting one of its famous Pop Up Museums and this time it’s also a potluck luncheon -- the theme: Family Recipes from the Old Country. Come to the Historical Society on Saturday, September 2nd from 11am-1pm for this fine food event. In lieu of an admission, the Society requests members of the public to prepare a favorite dish using a recipe that has been passed down in their family through the generations. Perhaps your family makes an excellent tourtiere (French meat pie), a scrumptious pannukakku (Finnish pancake), the perfect ravioli (Italian dumpling), or the most flavorful batch of kheer (Indian rice pudding). Recipes can be breakfast, lunch, appetizer, or dessert items. In the style of pop up museums, this fun event is focused on bringing community members together to share family stories and swap recipes. The Society is also seeking donations of family recipes for its forthcoming recipe booklet. The publication will highlight the mosaic of cultures that make up Cheshire County today. To RSVP for the Pop Up Potluck visit hsccnh.org or contact the Historical Society of Cheshire County at 603.352.1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org.

I would love to share my picture with accreditation to my website. Thank you Rick for reaching out to me. :) --DK

By Arthur on Mar 1, 2017

That was perfect and easy!

By Patma on Oct 21, 2015

Can use suji instead rice

By Pal Nut | Amazon Supply on Jan 27, 2015

[…] Kheer/Pal Payasam (Indian Rice Pudding) – Kheer Recipe … – This post shows you how to make easy and delicious Dessert Kheer,an Indian Rice Pudding recipe. A must during Festivals, it is also enjoyed all around the year…. […]

By neha negi on Sep 24, 2014

i am to make this kheer.... i love puddings

By Parul on Sep 6, 2014

Very delicious recipe. Really like the nuts warmed in ghee- they give a very nice taste to the kheer. I made this recipe for Vaibhav Lakshmi Vrat & all the guests loved it . Many had second helpings & took it home ! I had 15 guests and made it from 1 cup rice , 1 gallon milk ( 16 cups whole milk ) , 2 cups sugar , 1 tspn elaichi & nuts., saffron. Agree with you about short grain being more appropriate than basmati for this recipe . Thanks for sharing !

By savi on Jul 1, 2014

gonna cook it in the mornin fo my fiance...my first dish fo him...fingers crossed !!

By afsana on Jun 19, 2014

mashallah...bht khoob... aapki receipe bht khoobsurat

By afsana on Jun 19, 2014

yum!yummy...i m loving it

By Alok on Jun 16, 2014

I'm tried its very delicious thanku for sharing these lovely recipe

By Teju on May 28, 2014

:wink: i tried ths receipe. my god what a lovly taste... thnx for sharng ths receipe....yummy

By imtiaz on May 19, 2014

very delicious

By Jaswinder on Mar 23, 2014

:-P I like this recipe and made it! My family member love it.

By Shan on Feb 5, 2014

It was very niceeeeeeee :-x

By saista on Jan 14, 2014

Thanks fo diz recipe ;-)

By ruma dey on Jan 14, 2014

realy its very very nice... :roll:

By sonali on Dec 23, 2013

:-P nice receipe

By Amit on Dec 15, 2013

Mine came out with a bitterish aftertaste. Managed to spoil such a seemingly simple recipe! :cry:

By farah on Nov 24, 2013

this recipe is better than others i've tried. i prepared it as dessert for family dinner, and it was wiped out in no time. thanks for sharing your recipe.

By raashi on Nov 11, 2013

:-D wow good recipe.... and tasty....

By pari on Oct 5, 2013

m nwly married my husband kissed my hnds wn he ate kheer md by me

By Nitesh on Sep 22, 2013

I love to learn new stuff thank u for the such easy method of kheer shall make by coming weekend

By mukarram on Sep 5, 2013

i made it my way .

By Darshan on Aug 21, 2013

I made it Punjabi way. Rest of the method is same but take basmati rice 1/8th part of milk and sugar also 1/8th part of milk. Rice is not required to be fried. put in milk while it is boiling and there will be no lumps. Put nuts while switching of heat.

By Priya on Aug 21, 2013

I tried this on my last weekend. Taste was awesome and very easy to prepare. :-P

By Salma on Aug 20, 2013

:-D I made this today and my hubby loved it... Will be making it on many more occasions xxx

By Priya on Aug 9, 2013

I will try this weekend. Thanks for this receipe. :wink:

By neha on Aug 8, 2013

please mansion quantity of sugar.

By m.s.rani on Aug 4, 2013

it is very good recipe and teasty :-P

By m.s.rani on Aug 4, 2013

:-P

By harika on Jul 10, 2013

:) it very nice.i prepared it.my family members also likes it.thanks for ur nice recipe.

By James Hammond on Jul 1, 2013

Regarding pudding/basmati rice: I think any white rice will due as long as you let it soak up the sweetness of other ingredients. I would use jsdmine rice as it has a sweet cent to it already. But, I actually I prefer it made with roasted vermicelli.

By Farm Market Feast » Healthy Rice Pudding on Jun 4, 2013

[...] especially when it’s loaded with warm spicy cinnamon, or cardamom, as found in classic Indian Kheer. This recipe is filled with healthy superfoods, such as cacao, hemp hearts & raw honey. I [...]

By rice pudding - Budget Bytes on May 12, 2013

[...] found a few recipes that I liked (this one, this one and this one) but since I’m still working off of what I have in my pantry, I couldn’t follow any of [...]

By Almond Raisin Rice Pudding | masala & missoni on Mar 20, 2013

[...] recipe has been slighly adapted. [...]

By Khushi on Mar 9, 2013

my mom is a huuuuuge fan of kheer and i shall be making this for her tomorrow on mother's daay! hopefully it turns out good :-D

By Jasleen on Feb 3, 2013

hey ...i was wondering if i can add boiled rice to the reducing milk? as boiled rice is a common leftover in north indian households!!! or does the milk needs to cook in rice starch??

By RISUi on Jan 30, 2013

:oops: :( VERY VERY TESTY IS I G :lol: :lol:

By Patil S S on Jan 30, 2013

I almost ruined every step of it (natural considering i never succeed in making any form kheer :twisted: :wink: ), but for a change the end product was just yummy :!: :!: :!: ...... will be preparing again tomorrow in public demand 8) 8)

By maria on Jan 22, 2013

Can this recipe be made 3 or 4 days before serving?

By Salam Bombay, l'Inde est aussi de l'autre côté du Périph' on Jan 2, 2013

[...] à la semoule de blé, garni d’amande, coco, raisins secs et pistaches, servi tiède) ou un kheer (dessert servi frais à base de riz basmati moulu, lait, pistache, amande et sirop de [...]

By Veggie Monster – Deser ryżowy – Kheer on Dec 6, 2012

[...] ale też sycące małe-co-nieco na podwieczorek. Przygotowując go pierwszy raz bazowałam na tym przepisie. Polecam [...]

By sukhwinder singh on Nov 14, 2012

I love u r recipes mun vich pani aagya g :lol:

By Gurleen on Oct 30, 2012

Hey, I'm planning on making kheer for diwali. will be entertaining abt 8 guests. My confusion is with the quantity. how much kheer will this recipe yeild? (I like to serve the kheer cold and "set" so that would be lesser than if it was warm n runny. hence.

By neeta on Oct 29, 2012

:?: I actually bought the pudding rice but most recipes say to use normal basmati rice - isn't better to use the pudding rice. Also I don't like cardamom or nuts in my food so I may try to use vanilla essence to give a little hit. What do you think. Will use your way to make my first rice pudding.

That's 'cos in India, there is nothing called Pudding rice available. Hence medium grained is used more often - in the South and Basmati or long grained rice in the North. But you can of course use the pudding rice. It does taste best --DK

By sowmya on Oct 28, 2012

Thank u for this fabulous recipe and the pictures helped! 8)

By taruna on Oct 21, 2012

:) thnk u so much DK.. for the first time m making kheer n i was so nervous bt after reading dis... m quite confidence...nw m able 2 make it.. thnxxxxxxxxxxxxxx alotttt..... :wink: 8) :*

By Pradeep on Oct 21, 2012

Hello! I would like to try this recipe. Please tell me which rice should I use? Basmathi? Looking forward to hear from the owner of this recipe. Thank you.

Like I have mentioned ideally short/medium grained rice would be perfect for this kheer - the one you use for your day to day cooking. Basmati is long grained rice but would work fine too --DK

By Balkis on Oct 19, 2012

It's a very delicious kheer and reminded of my special young moments. Thnx a lot. :-P

By Gurdev Singh on Oct 17, 2012

Please believe me...what a great recipe..I live in abroad and wanted to make just only kheer..but I got more than normal kheer by reading your recipe...thanks a lot...

By Lashmibai on Sep 22, 2012

Awesome...Looks delicious

By NILIMA MISHRA on Sep 17, 2012

So sweet

By Pakistan « pseudoironchef on Sep 7, 2012

[...] felt a bit too much for one meal. We settled instead for another Pakistani dessert staple: kheer (rice pudding). This recipe was great. The almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins, gently fried in butter and [...]

By sheetal on Aug 21, 2012

:-P very sweet & Yummy

By vaishnavi on Jul 3, 2012

this recipe is soo yummy and it really helps. i made it for the first time and served it to my mother and she was shocked and from that day she allowed me to cook for our relatives thanks for the recipe its so easy :wink: :) :-P :-D 8)

By saima on Jun 12, 2012

First i hve to soak the rice or what?

By shrink on Mar 24, 2012

todaez ma boifrnz birthdae n im makin dis 4 him...jus lyk said above,indian occasion n celebration is tasteless widout sweetin our taste buds wid dis delicious kheer!!!i neva knew hw to mke dis b4 bt u mde it possible.thnx a lot!!

By bhavna khedekar on Feb 25, 2012

iits ymiiiiiii i would like 2 make it....

By bhavna khedekar on Feb 25, 2012

its 2 ymmi....... i would lik 2 make it. :-? :-? :-?

By Capt. Vijay Saxena on Jan 20, 2012

Hi DK. I am presently in Peru and our Kheer over here is called Aroz con leche. Its a lot over here and considered a very good after food dilicacy. But recently i cooked the same in our style as suggested by you and these guys have forgotten their Aroz con Leche. Many thanks for the recipe.

By sujata upgupta on Jan 10, 2012

One thing I liked best about this site is the amount of information you provide before the actual recipe and the the photograph of each stage with picture which really helps a lot while cooking

By sujata upgupta on Jan 10, 2012

This is the best kheer recipe I have ever come across. Thank you so much for putting it here...now I am confident of making a very good kheer

By khushi on Dec 2, 2011

i have tried this recipe and it comes out very good

By khushi on Dec 2, 2011

i amm just making it now

By pankaj arora on Nov 29, 2011

Just making it now. Let's see how it turns out but looks good.

By aarnaa on Oct 6, 2011

how about putting mawa into it?will it help in making the kheer more thick without much of a boiling?

By Amisha on Jul 1, 2011

Loved this recipe! I made kheer for the first time a few days back and used this recipe. It's simple, easy & turns out beautifully! Thanks again, and love the website.

Thank you so much Amisha :) --DK

By happy easter holi! | Hangaku Gozen's Blog on Apr 26, 2011

[...] chaat, lentil dumplings, dahi puris with tamarind sauce, Indian fried rice, and gulab jamun and kheer for dessert. My personal favorite was the fryums, which were a kind of psychedelic potato chip. But [...]

By spandana on Apr 8, 2011

its very easy to prepare :wink: i actually wanted to try it but i did'nt knew its recipe :cry: thank u very very much.only 1que-can we use rava in the place of rice???

By Nancy on Mar 10, 2011

:-D I made this recipe for a book group since we were discussing "The White Tiger". Many of our members have traveled and lived abroad, and they were very pleased with the pudding.

By Srikumar on Mar 6, 2011

Hi There, Wonderful! When do we add sugar to the milk? I think you missed that out in the above recipe.

Nope its already there - 2 steps before the addition of saffron!

By Louise on Feb 27, 2011

I need to make Kheer (first time) for book club. The book is "The Hindi-Bindi Club" and the recipe is in the book. The recipe calls for 8 green cardamon pods. Remove seeds from pods and crush and 1/2 tsp saffron threads. It calls for vermicelli broken into 1-inch pieces. Saffron is very expensive, can I use a substitute and get away with it? Please, what measurement is equal to 8 green cardamon pods?

You can skip the saffron. I read somewhere that 1 cardamom pod is 1/6th tsp ground

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[...] Kheer, Indian rice pudding with cardamom, nuts and other delights [...]

By mukesh on Jan 1, 2011

i made it and its very delicious.

By Priyanka on Dec 31, 2010

i made 1st time rice pudding and the kheer was very yummy , i really like your blog .

By mavis on Dec 4, 2010

I'm going to try this recipe yummy sounding tomorrow for a lunch party - how many servings does this make?

Serves 2 -3 ppl

By Unsuccessful Attempts « on Sep 27, 2010

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By rice pudding $2.74 recipe / $0.69 serving | Fitness Lifestyle Health Club on Sep 23, 2010

[...] found a few recipes that I liked (this one, this one and this one) but since I’m still working off of what I have in my pantry, I couldn’t follow any of [...]

By Fionika on Aug 30, 2010

Mom loves Payasam, will surely try out this recipe.

By Shilpa Narang on Jul 26, 2010

Yummmy. One of my all time fav dessert. My mum used to make this the same way as your recipe and it always was amazing. Except that she used to add sugar at the end. As a result the chances of the milk sticking at the bottom of the vessel is reduced. I love your systematic recipe and the pictures speak more than a thousand words.

By Twitted by ChefInYou on Jul 25, 2010

[...] This post was Twitted by ChefInYou [...]

By Suzanne on Jun 18, 2010

Thanks so much for the great recipe and inspiring pictures. I made this tonight and we had it for bedtime snack. So good!

By Hema on Feb 27, 2010

Hi Dhivi, Today,I hv tried this recipe on the occasion of Holi festival ,it came out delicious..i miss your Friday Prasadam as well :( .. Happy Holi!! :)

Thanks hema..Miss you guyz too :( and yes - I miss making friday prasadams and coming along to all your houses :( Sigh! --DK

By Kalpakam on Feb 25, 2010

Hi DK - your pal payasam looks yummy! Your step by step pictures are so tempting that I just want to devour the dishes just right away .By the way, isn't the real pal payasam minus nuts,cardamom & saffron?.

Really? I wouldn't know! I mother always added nuts, raisins and cardamom (saffron not so much cos of the expense!)...but whats a prasadam without these key ingredients? --of course not to mention that additional flavor that it imparts ;) ;) --DK

By lk on Dec 1, 2009

lovely recipes and pictures ...am assuming the pictures were shot by a professional.

Wow-It sure sounds v complimentary to me :) And no, I am not one - long way to go in the photography world :) Thanks for the assumption though - DK

By Ruth Koren on Nov 1, 2009

This sounds delicious, but can anyone tell me for how many servings these directions are approprate?

This makes about 4 servings. And yes, its indeed a delicious festive pudding famous in India

By Ira Mann on Oct 26, 2009

I have tried and really enjoyed your kheer. It looked so good in the pictures, I had to try it. Thanks so much for sharing.

By Mansi on Oct 18, 2009

Man, that does look delicious DK! I wish I could eat it right now, you simply awakened by sweet buds:) thanks for sending in such a lovely entry!

By Arundhuti on Oct 18, 2009

lovely lovely pictures!

By Sadhana on Oct 16, 2009

Lovely kheer and Wishes for a happy & prosperous Diwali to you and your family.

By sheba on Oct 16, 2009

Kheer never looked so good...

By prathibha on Oct 14, 2009

I just love this...looks super yummy..

By Laura Flowers on Oct 14, 2009

This is one of my favorite foods and your pictures are beautiful!

By Cynthia on Oct 14, 2009

Rice pudding - my weakness! :)

By Srivalli on Oct 14, 2009

That is so lovely Dhivi

By Pavani on Oct 14, 2009

Looks absolutely mouth watering.. Send some over to me now.. plzzzzzzzzz.. Happy Diwali to you and your family DK.

By Divya Vikram on Oct 14, 2009

Loved the last picture Dhiv!Was reminded of my paati who made this often especially for me!!

Ok now that some compliment! Anything which reminds anyone of home is a real compliment indeed! Talking about paati, I miss mine too :( Happy Diwali Divs :) --- DK

By Chakh...le...Re!!! on Oct 14, 2009

I really like your blog. You step by step description is really grt. Kheer looks yummy!!

Thank you for kind words :) --- DK

By Sonu on Oct 14, 2009

Lovely click!

By Veggie Belly on Oct 14, 2009

those nuts sprinkled on top look so good!

By Indhu on Oct 14, 2009

creamy and delicious... I make this the same way.. but never added pistachios... coz my mom never added them :) they give a lovely colour to the picture... will add them the next time!

By Priya on Oct 14, 2009

Cant take my eyes from the bowl...gorgeous clicks!!