Rice Pudding or Rice Kheer is one of my favorite deserts. It reminds of the lavish dinner parties at home where it was invariably one of the deserts served. The creamy taste of sweet thickened milk and soft rice combined with the crunchy texture of blanched almonds contrasted by the mushy raisins always makes me crave for more.
Ingredients
Servings: 8
½ cup Basmati Rice
½ cup Sugar
½ gallon 2% Fat Milk
¼ cup Almonds
4-5 Green Cardamoms
1 box (28 grams) California Raisins (or other raisins)
Saffron strands (optional)
Instructions
Wash the rice 2-3 times until the water the clear. This washes away the excess starch from the grains. I pour some water into the bowl, stir the rice with my fingers and then drain the water and repeat until it is (almost) clear. Soak the rice for about 30 minutes and drain the water.1. Wash the rice 2-3 times until the water the clear. This washes away the excess starch from the grains. I pour some water into the bowl, stir the rice with my fingers and then drain the water and repeat until it is (almost) clear. Soak the rice for about 30 minutes and drain the water.
Soak the almonds in a bowl of water and microwave for about 2 minutes, let it cool and then peel the almonds and cut them into slivers.
Crush the cardamom in a mortar so that the seeds are crushed into a coarse powder. Remove the cardamom skins since you won't be adding them to the pudding.
Bring the milk to a boil on medium-high heat in a thick bottomed pot to prevent it from burning.
Reduce the heat and add the drained rice.
Cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes and then reduce the heat to low. Stir the milk occasionally every 5 minutes or so increasing the frequency as time elapses and the volume of the milk gradually reduces. Also scrape any milk solids from the side of the pot back into the milk. The milk will start to thicken and you will notice that as the volume reduces it starts to bubble more, that's when we reduce the heat to low.
Add sugar, almond slivers (reserve some for the garnish), cardamom powder and saffron strands and continue stirring until the milk has reduced to about half the original volume in about 15 minutes. You can tell that the pudding is ready when the rice and milk don't separate out when you scoop out a spoonful from the pot.
Turn off the heat and mix in the raisins.
Cool in the refrigerator and serve with almond slivers garnish.