Rice Pudding | Kheer in Instant Pot

Rice Pudding is one of the most popular desserts in many cuisines around the world.  It is known as Kheer in northern India.  Indian rice pudding or Kheer is made by cooking rice with milk and sugar, and is enhanced by cardamom or saffron, and dried fruits and nuts like cashews, almonds, pistachios and raisins.

There are many variations and names of this sweet treat all over India.  It can also be made with broken wheat, tapioca or vermicelli.  Kheer is often made during festive occasions and as an offering during prayer ceremonies.

Another popular rice pudding is the Spanish/Latin American rice pudding dessert called Arroz Con Leche, which literally translates to ‘rice with milk’.  In this post, I included both: the Indian rice pudding recipe and the Spanish or Mexican rice pudding recipe.  these delicious classics.  Hope you enjoy them both!

60 Variations Around the World:

Rice puddings are found in nearly every area of the world.  There are variations in recipes based on cooking methods and list of ingredients, but rice (or a similar starch) and milk seem to be the common ones in most.  According to Wikipedia, there are close to 60 variations of Rice Puddings around the world.

Arroz Con Leche: Spanish or Mexican Rice Pudding

Arroz Con Leche, literally translates to ‘Rice (Arroz) with Milk (Leche)’.  My kids introduced me to this wonderful dessert.  My daughters had to make a traditional Latin American dish for their Spanish class at school, and one of them opted to make Arroz Con Leche.  She came home with a recipe, and that’s when I realized, how similar it is to the Indian rice pudding, Kheer.   My daughter’s rice pudding got rave reviews at school and we added another great recipe to our family favorites!  If you want to try it, I’ve added that recipe too!

Dairy-Free & Nut-Free Alternative:

This recipe can be made dairy-free by substituting milk with unsweetened, regular Almond milk, or full-fat coconut milk.  I’ve tried using low-fat coconut milk, but it just doesn’t taste creamy and smooth like it should.  I have observed that whenever I make kheer with almond milk, I do end up adding 1-2 tablespoons of extra sugar.  There is also a textural difference when you make it with almond milk since it doesn’t have as much fat as regular milk.  So, the rice pudding is not as rich as the regular one.  If you want to make it  nut-free, use regular milk, and skip the nuts in the recipe.

Coming back to the Kheer recipe.  I like to flavor mine with freshly ground cardamom.  If you don’t like the black specs in it, you can use the store bought version, which is much lighter.  Also, you can use raisins, coconut and even saffron to enhance your rice pudding.  So, if your version is different than mine, simply use this recipe as a guideline and do your magic.

Rice Pudding-Kheer in Instant Pot is a Game Changer

Till I bought my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot, I used to make Kheer on the stove-top. It would take me around 30-40 minutes (depending on quantity), but I had to babysit the pot. I had  to adjust temperature, keep stirring, make sure the milk doesn’t boil over. Definitely worth it, but why do that when you can have a hands-free option!

Until now, I believed that dairy has a tendency to curdle under high and fluctuating pressure, which is how many stove-top pressure cookers operate.  But the Instant Potis different. The Porridge mode allows you to cook at a consistent and even temperature- no changes in pressure till the cooking is done.  So now, I can fill the pot with the ingredients, give it a stir, and set a timer on Porridge mode and forget about it! That’s a huge win for me.

How to Prevent the ‘Burn’ message:

My Mom’s Tip :

In order to ensure that the milk doesn’t stick/burn at the bottom of the pan, start by adding 1/4 cup water and then add the milk. Don’t ask me how, but this trick works every single time.

My Tip :

By turning the Saute mode on initially, the milks gets tempered, which means, it warms a bit before we close the lid for pressure cooking. This prevents the milk from curdling. Also, starting with a super clean pot also ensures that. So, wipe your inner pot clean to make sure nothing from the last meal is still sticking to it.

Stove-Top Recipe:

If you were making this rice pudding recipe on the stove-top, I’d suggest a heavy bottom sauce pot like this one: Non-Stick Sauce Pan.

1. I start by adding the milk, give it a few minutes to warm up and then add rinsed and drained rice and nuts. Keep the heat at medium-high and stir intermittently, till the milk reaches a boil.
2. Turn down the heat on medium and stir till rice get cooked.
3. Add sugar and stir till sugar dissolves. You can mash the rice a little using a Potato Masher– it gives a good texture to the Kheer.
4. Turn off the flame till you reach the right texture for how you like your Kheer. I personally, don’t like to thicken it a lot, because it will naturally thicken as it cools down. If it’s too thick, add more milk and adjust the sugar accordingly. Finish by sprinkling in some cardamom powder and enjoy warm or cold!

Some More Instant Pot Desserts

Instant Pot Fudgy Brownies

Salted Caramel lava Cake

More Indian Desserts to Enjoy

Here are some other Indian desserts that I love to make and my family really enjoys.

Sooji Sheera (Semolina Pudding)	Kesar Badam Halwa
10-Minute Coconut Laddoo	Easiest Microwave Besan Laddoo
Gajar Burfi (Carrot Fudge)	Gajar ka Halwa
Deep Fried Gujiya	Baked Gujiya
Nankhatai (Almond Spice Cookies)

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Rice Pudding | Kheer in Instant Pot

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Rice Pudding / Kheer is a popular dessert from the northern Indian cuisine made by cooking rice with milk and sugar, enhanced by cardamom or saffron.  

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian, Mexican

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 449 kcal

Author: Spice Cravings

Ingredients

Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

• 1/4 cup water
• 4 cups 2% milk : Whole milk is ok too. Or almond milk, unsweetened reg or Coconut Milk
• 1/2 cup sugar or to taste
• 1/3 cup assorted chopped nuts : I use Slivered Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios(skip for nut-free)
• 1/2 cup Basmati Rice or any white rice you have on hand
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom : to be added after cooking

Some optional ingredients (to be added before pressure cooking)

• 1 tablespoon Raisins
• 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Flaked Coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon Saffron

Arroz Con Leche (Latin American Rice Pudding)

• 1/2 cup Jasmine Rice rinsed 2-3 times
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 cups 2% milk : whole milk is ok too
• 1/2 cup Sugar or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon or 1 Cinnamon Stick

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Prep: Rinse rice 2-3 times or till water runs clear. Soak in water till you arrange everything together. Chop nuts to your liking. Crush cardamom if using fresh.
2. Turn on Instant pot to Saute Mode. Add 1/4 cup water. Now add the milk. This prevents the milk from scorching the bottom of the pan. Add drained rice, sugar, nuts and give it a light stir. Hit cancel. Set instant pot to Porridge mode for 20 minutes. Valve set to Sealing Mode. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes (NPR 15).
3. Open the lid. You can mash the rice a little using a Potato Masher- it gives a creamy texture to the Kheer. Add ground cardamom and stir. Kheer is ready to eat. You can enjoy this warm or cold!

Note

1. If the Kheer is thin for your liking, you can cook of the milk by turning on the SAUTE mode. But remember, that it will thicken quit a bit as it cools. If Kheer is too thick for you, you can add more milk to it and cook it till the milk boils. Remember to add more sugar in that case.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

If you are new to the Instant Pot, please read my FAQ on Instant Pot Terminology and Accessories to learn more.

 

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates.  If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition Facts

Rice Pudding | Kheer in Instant Pot

Amount Per Serving

Calories 449 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 25mg 8%

Sodium 152mg 6%

Potassium 538mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 76g 25%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 49g

Protein 14g 28%

Vitamin A 6.4%

Vitamin C 0.8%

Calcium 40.2%

Iron 3.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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