Cardamom-infused, milk and rice, Kheer is a classic Pakistani dessert and one of many versions that exist across South Asia. In fact, nearly every culture has a take on a rice pudding. It’s comforting to know how so many of us soothe our souls through rice and milk and something sweet.
The Kheer traditionally calls for blue top full fat dairy milk but I think coconut milk adds that lovely tropical flavour! Plus now, it’s vegan.

Ingredients

2L coconut milk carton

400 coconut milk can

1/2 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed (you can use crushed cardamom pods also)

1 cup basmati rice

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup caster sugar

25g coconut cream

25g flaked almonds

50g dessicated coconut

1 tsp Kewra essece

Method

The ingredients for kheer are simple, the art of making the dessert is all about patience and attention. I am giving detail totkas along with the very simple method. These notes are a combination of my mum’s guidance, years of serving kheer in Lahore and London, as well my own research and personal experience of eating kheer.

The main instruction - Don’t burn the milk!

Bring the milk to a rapid boil in a large saucepan (with the cardamon) and reduce to a simmer. The milk should reduce by a third from it’s original consistency. This should take as long as 40 minutes.

Notes on Utensils

🥣You need a heavy based stockpot. That means it has a thick base. If you don’t have one, you can also put a tawa under the stock pot to help regulate the heat.

🥄I use a silicone spatula to stir the milk to further manage the heat. Make sure to run the spatula against the bottom of the pan every now and again and get a feel for any milk that might be burning.

I wouldn’t recommend using a metal spoon, in case you accidentally scrape any burnt residue. We don’t any brown bits floating in the milk! But trust me keep a metal spoon on hand for later ;)

Notes on Milk

I cannot say this enough - Do not burn the milk.

Once you bring the milk up to a rapid boil, let it simmer on a medium heat with a gentle bubble.

Do not let it scald, that is, rise up to nearly boiling over.

If the milk burns, the milk proteins will solidify. This is what we call kuhrchan, the brown milk residue that sticks at the bottom of the pan.

I am thinking of the kuhrchan even as I begin to think about making kheer. A mistake and fear of it, that conspires itself into existence well before the cooking begins. In some ways a little bit of kuhrchan is a happy mistake that reveals itself only when the dessert is finally served.

I love kuhrchan. This is where the metal spoon comes in, used to scrape the bottom of the pateeli to eat the fudge like frayed ribbons of caramelised milk from the empty saucepan. Chef’s treat.

But be warned, if taken too far, anticipation of this last bite can leave the whole dessert, and hours of gentle stirring, tasting a bitter burnt.

If you do notice a thick kurhchan in the pateeli as you stir, I would suggest pouring the milk into fresh clean pateeli and continue cooking.

🥥 I love coconut milk in my desserts. I am using the carton as well as the can.

Desi desserts have a reputation of being heavy and difficult to digest. My heart breaks a little whenever I refuse a Pakistani pudding after my saalans, biryanis and naan. Well, my use of non-dairy milk challenges all of that. You will always have space for this sweet treat if you follow my recipe and choice of coconut milk.

I want to make a case for the low fat content (1.4g per 100ml) of coconut milk, however with a can of coconut milk at 18.1g per 100ml, this is a creamy choice. So I am not sure why it’s lighter, if I’m honest, and my research continues.

Plus now it’s vegan!

This creaminess (high oil content), never the less, plays an integral in preventing the milk from burning. You will be kurhchan free with coconut milk.

🐃 Buffalo milk is the dairy milk of choice in Pakistan. My mum says the fattiness of buffalo milk has a low burn rate as well.

🐄 If you’re making kheer with dairy milk, let me warn you - no amount of stirring can avoid burning the milk just a little. It will happen whether you like it or not. Your task is simply to contain the build up, the caramelised milk at the base of the pateeli and prevent it from developing that burnt milk smell.

2. Meanwhile, toast the rice in the coconut oil. Add 1.5 cups of water, bring the water to a rapid boil, cover with a lid and lower the temperature to a simmer.

Cook for 4 minutes.

Notes on Rice

🍚 Basmati rice is best for kheer, for it’s delicate floral finish.

Do not wash the rice because you want to retain the starch goodness as a setting agent in the kheer.

I toast the raw rice in some coconut oil for added depth of flavour. Don’t let the rice catch colour; you want to keep the grains a pearly white.

3. Pour the gloopy rice into the reduced milk.

Notes on Paying Attention

You’ve just spent the best part of an hour reducing the milk. Sure, you’ve been loitering in the kitchen with other task as you keep an eye on the simmering pateelis. But now, as you’ve poured in the rice, you need to give the kheer closer attention.

You will notice the milk thicken almost immediately. Continue stirring regularly, preventing the grains from sticking to the base of the pan.

The kheer will ready within the next 30 minutes,.

You’ll know the consistency is right if you run your finger along the back of the spoon and it takes a good second to come together.

The kheer will continue to thicken as it cools.

4. Turn off the heat. Add the sugar and dried fruit.

Notes on Sugar

Use plain white caster sugar. Any other sugar will discolour your pearly white kheer!

I suggest half the amount of sugar to rice. The sweetness will mellow as it cools and so you can add more sugar if it’s not sweet enough for you ;)

Notes on dried fruit and spices

💚Cardamom is a gorgeous floral dried spice. I like to add crushed (to a powder) cardamom seeds into the kheer. These are the only subtle speckles I will allow in my pearly snow white kheer!

You can add the cardamom pods while you are reducing the milk for added flavour, but remove them before you add the rice.

🤍Flaked almonds enhance the floral sweetness of kheer and so this is my choice of dried nuts.

🥥I love heaps of desiccated coconut. Do not toast it, again we want pearly white kheer! A knob of coconut cream adds further flavour.

🟢Kewra water is the floral extract from the panda leaf. This is a delicate floral scent reminiscent of vanilla. This is my preference of scent.

Unlisted dried fruit and spices:

❤️Saffron strands are traditionally added with the cardamom. It has an earthy warmth to the milk as well as lending its opulent crimson colour.

Saffron is not listed in my ingredient list because we do not use it. My mum tells me they could never afford the luxury of saffron when she was growing up so the omission carried through in her recipe to present day.

🟩 You can add flaked pistachios if that’s your preference, but we are going for the whitest white kheer (need I remind you!) and the pistachios are green.

🖤Pakistani recipes also call for adding kishmish (raisins). Again, I have omitted this from my recipe.

5. Pour the kheer into a serving dish, sprinkling flaked almonds and desiccated coconut as a garnish. Enjoy!

Cardamom-infused, carmalised milk and rice, Kheer is a classic Pakistani dessert and one of many versions that exist across South Asia. In fact, nearly every culture has a take on a rice pudding. It’s comforting to know how so many of us soothe our souls through rice and milk and something sweet.

The recipe traditionally calls for blue top dairy milk but I think coconut milk adds that lovely tropical flavour! Plus now, it’s vegan.

My Coconut Kheer

Ingredients

Method

Gol Gappay as canapés