Rice Pudding or Kheer
This rice pudding is known as kheer in North India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and eaten under different names throughout South Asia. It consists, in its basic version, of nothing more than milk, cardamom for flavor and aroma, rice, and sugar. In villages and towns, rice harvests are generally celebrated with a kheer. In some communities, new husbands and wives feed each other a spoonful of kheer during the final part of the wedding ritual. It may be served lukewarm, at room temperature, or cold. Because it is associated with celebration, expensive ingredients are often added, such as saffron, nuts, and dried fruit. Here is the basic version, the one I love the most; you may scatter a tablespoon of chopped pistachios over the top before serving.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 3
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the rice in a clean coffee grinder and whir just long enough to break most grains into 2–3 pieces. Some may stay whole. You may also do this in a mortar.
Step 2
Bring the milk to a boil over medium or medium-low heat in a very heavy, wide pan, deep enough to let the milk rise a bit without boiling over. Stir as the milk heats. (I prefer to heat up my milk in a microwave oven and just pour it into the pan to speed up matters.) As soon as the milk starts bubbling, stir it, adding the rice and cardamom pods. Keep stirring. Adjust the heat, generally to medium low, so the milk simmers steadily without boiling over or catching at the bottom. Cook this way, stirring now and then, for about 40–45 minutes. Stir in any skin that forms. (It tastes very good when cold.) Add the sugar and stir another 2–3 minutes. Take off the heat and pour into a serving dish. Remove the cardamom pods. Allow to cool, stirring now and then so no skin forms on the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. (Remember that this pudding may also be served lukewarm or at room temperature.)
