Rice kheer

Name: Rice kheer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1000 ml milk, full-fat; 50 g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes; 70 g sugar; 4 cardamom, seeds crushed; 1 leaf bay leaves (optional); 20 g raisins, rinsed; 15 g cashews, chopped; 10 g almonds, slivered (optional); 1 pinch saffron (optional)

Vegetarian

खीर · kheer

Rice simmered slowly in milk until thick and creamy, sweetened and scented with cardamom, with raisins and nuts. Made for festivals and birthdays across India.

Rice kheer is an Indian dessert, ready in about 55 minutes and made with milk and basmati rice. It serves 5 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

A serving of Kheer — Representative photo. stu spivack / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.0

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 55 min
Serves: 5
Level: Easy
Calories: 245

Ingredients

5 servings

1000 ml Milk (opens in a new tab), full-fatContains milk
50 g Basmati rice (opens in a new tab), rinsed and soaked 20 minutesShort, fragrant gobindobhog rice is used for Bengali payesh.
70 g Sugar (opens in a new tab)Swap: Jaggery / palm sugar (Add jaggery off the heat so the milk doesn't curdle — as in winter nolen gur payesh.)
4 (1 g) Cardamom (opens in a new tab), seeds crushed
1 leaf (0 g) Bay leaves (opens in a new tab) (optional)Traditional in Bengali payesh.
20 g Raisins (opens in a new tab), rinsed
15 g Cashews (opens in a new tab), choppedContains tree nuts
10 g Almonds (opens in a new tab), slivered (optional)Contains tree nuts
1 pinch (0 g) Saffron (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Saucepan (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Bring the milk (opens in a new tab) (and bay leaf (opens in a new tab), if using) to the boil in a heavy-based pan, then add the drained rice.
- 8 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Simmer on low, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the rice is completely soft and the milk (opens in a new tab) has reduced by about half.
- 35 min
- low heat
A wide, heavy pan reduces faster and is less likely to scorch.
3
Step 3
Stir in the sugar (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), raisins (opens in a new tab), nuts and saffron (opens in a new tab) and simmer 5 minutes more.
- 5 min
- low heat
4
Step 4
Serve warm or chilled — it thickens further as it cools.
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: India · Well documentedMilk-rice puddings are ancient in South Asia; Bengali payesh and South Indian payasam are close relatives.Also popular in Pakistan, Bangladesh, NepalMore food from India
Dish: Dessert · Desserts
Cooking method: Simmered, Boiled
Taste: sweet, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Child-friendly
Cook more with: Milk · Basmati rice · Sugar · Cardamom · Raisins · Cashews
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering · Reduction

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom milk
Contains: Tree nutsfrom cashews, almonds
May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

245 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 237 g · recipe makes 5

Where the energy comes from

Protein 13%
Carbohydrate 58%
Fat 29%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	245 kcal	103 kcal
Protein	7.9 g	3.3 g
Carbohydrate	36.1 g	15.2 g
Net carbohydrate	35.6 g	15 g
Sugars	27.2 g	11.5 g
Added sugars	14 g	5.9 g
Fibre	0.5 g	0.2 g
Fat	8.1 g	3.4 g
Saturated fat	4.1 g	1.7 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	21 mg	9 mg
Sodium	91 mg	38 mg
Salt equivalent	0.2 g	0.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 335 mg
Calcium: 240 mg
Iron: 0.8 mg
Magnesium: 34 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 95 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 2.7 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.9 µg
Folate (DFE): 50 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: bay leaves, almonds, saffron.
Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Crush a few of the rice grains with the back of the spoon as they soften — it makes the kheer creamier.

Common mistakes

Leaving the pan unstirred — the milk catches and gives a burnt taste.

Serve with

Serve warm in winter or chilled in summer, sprinkled with pistachios.

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

Warm gently with a splash of milk, or serve cold.

Variations

Nolen gurer payesh: Bengali winter version sweetened with date-palm jaggery.
Paal payasam: Kerala version made with rice and milk reduced until pinkish.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Milk, full-fat1000 ml · 1030 g
Basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes50 g
Raisins, rinsed20 g

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

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