I take a bite of this sweet rice pudding and I am back at my parents’ house at Diwali. They’ve just been dancing. Arya is eighteen months old, playing with the dancing stick and shrieking with laughter. One more spoonful, and she’s six months old and just learning to eat; she doesn’t wrinkle her nose at a simple kheer made with apples. A couple more spoonfuls and it’s 2015, I’m in Bademiya in Mumbai, it’s 2 a.m. and Hugh’s just arrived. I’ve been away from him for weeks again, traveling to research recipes for Fresh India. I missed him so much I could barely eat, but now he’s here and the kheer tastes like sweet celebration. Another spoonful and I’m six again, struggling to fit in at a new school. I don’t tell Mum, but perhaps she knows because there’s kheer for pudding and it tastes like home.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the rice, spices, sugar, milk, and cream in a large saucepan and set over a medium-low heat. Bring to the boil—but watch it doesn’t boil over—then turn the heat down to a whisper and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring fairly frequently to make sure the rice doesn’t stick and burn. If the mixture is getting too dry, add more milk, a little at a time. When the rice is nearly done, it will start to bubble and burp more furiously and will need more attention from you. When the rice is tender (i.e. there’s no chalkiness in the center), take it off the heat and spoon into a serving bowl. Allow to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge until cold.
Step 2
Just before serving, grind the remaining tablespoon of sugar, the pistachios, and edible flowers as finely as you can, using a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder. Sprinkle over the top, and serve.
Recipe notes
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