Rice Pudding / Kheer in Instant Pot

Name: Rice Pudding / Kheer in Instant Pot
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: ½ cup Basmati rice (or Jasmine, or any medium grain white rice); ⅓ cup assorted chopped nuts (I use slivered almonds, cashews, pistachios (skip for nut-free)); ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (to be added after cooking); ¼ cup water; 5 cups 2% milk (can use whole milk/ almond milk/ coconut milk - see notes); ½ cup + 2 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste); 2 tablespoons raisins; 1 tablespoon unsweetened flaked coconut; ½ teaspoon saffron

Jump to Recipe

Kheer, or Payasam, is a rich and creamy Indian rice pudding, and a quintessential dessert in most celebrations. Here's an easy dump-and-start Instant Pot recipe that transforms rice, milk and sugar into a delicious, comforting rice pudding, infused with aromatic cardamom.

A bowl of creamy rice pudding, called Kheer, garnished with chopped pistachios

Rice pudding is one of the most popular desserts in many cuisines around the world. And in my home, it is a dessert that always gets rave reviews! Two of us enjoy it warm, and the other two like it chilled!

I grew up enjoying my mom's awesome kheer. She would make it early in the morning, so I used to wake up to the aroma of milk simmering with rice and sugar 🙂

A friend introduced me to Payasam, which is the popular South-Indian variation of rice pudding made with jaggery. In this post, I've included the details for making both these classics.

Once you learn to get a little adventurous with the flavorings, the possibilities are endless. Make it for a special occasion or just because:) And make sure to use your Instant Pot for a hands-off recipe!

What is Kheer? Is it the Same as Payasam?

Kheer is the North Indian version of rice pudding made by cooking rice with milk and sugar. It can then be enhanced by cardamom or saffron, along with dried fruits and nuts like raisins, cashews, almonds and pistachios.

Payasam is the South Indian version of Kheer made with jaggery (cane sugar) with a thinner consistency. Keep reading to learn more about how to make variations of kheer at home.

Indian rice pudding, kheer, served in a black bowl, garnished with pistachios

Instant Pot Kheer- Game Changing Hands-Off Recipe

I used to make rice pudding on the stovetop until I bought my electric pressure cooker - the Instant Pot. This was the instant game changer!

Earlier, it would take me 30 to 40 minutes (depending on quantity), but I had to babysit the pot, use some muscle power, adjust the temperature, etc. Why do that when you can have a hands-off option! This Instant Pot Kheer is well-worth it because:

The Porridge mode allows you to cook at a consistent and even temperature - no drastic jumps in pressure till the cooking is done.
This Dump & Start recipe means I can fill the pot with the ingredients, give it a stir, set a timer and forget about it! That's a huge win for me.
The serving style is so versatile - hot, warm, room temperature, cold - yet the flavor is endlessly delicious.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

The three key ingredients to kheer are rice, milk and sugar. I like to flavor this easy kheer recipe with freshly ground cardamom, but as you'll learn, this is where you can get creative.

milk, rice, sugar, green cardamom pods, pistachios in bowls

Rice: Basmati rice is my go-to, but Jasmine rice is a great substitute. See Rice Pudding Variations below for more creative ideas.
Milk: I use 2% milk. Whole milk will provide a richer consistency. You can also use almond or full-fat coconut milk instead.
Sugar: We like our rice pudding on the sweet side. Adjust the sugar amount to your liking.
Cardamom: I pop the seeds out of fresh green cardamom pods and grind them in my spice grinder. If you don't like the black specs in it, you can use the store-bought ground cardamom, which is much lighter in color.
Flavorings: Rice pudding is a wonderful blank canvas for any additional flavorings or mix-ins such as dried fruits and nuts. You can use raisins, coconut, saffron and even rose water to enhance the taste to your liking.

Step by Step Instructions for Rice Kheer

I mean it when I say this is a complete set-it-and-forget-it Indian dessert. You will get more consistent results if you rinse and soak the rice beforehand. Add nuts, fruit and aromatics of your choice and you have a sweet treat in no time. Simply:

Rinse rice 2-3 times, or till water runs clear. Turn on Saute. Add water. Now add the milk. This prevents the milk from scorching in the bottom of the pan (Pic 1).
Add sugar (Pic 2).
Add nuts and rinsed rice, and give it a stir. As soon as the milk comes to a simmer, hit Cancel (Pic 3).
Set Porridge mode for 20 minutes, on sealing mode. Once the cook time is done, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes (NPR 15), followed by quick release of any remaining pressure (Pic 4).
Open the lid after the pin drops. Using the back of your ladle, mash the rice against the sides of the pot. Alternatively, use a potato masher. Mashing makes the rice pudding naturally creamy (Pic 5).
Stir in ground cardamom. Garnish with more nuts if you like and enjoy hot or chill in the refrigerator for a few hours (Pic 6).

grid shot of steps for making indian rice pudding in instant pot

Recipe Tip: If the Kheer is too thin for your liking, you can reduce the milk by turning on the SAUTE mode. Keep in mind that it will thicken quite a bit as it cools. If Kheer is too thick, add more milk and simmer it for a few minutes. Adjust sugar, if needed.

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.
Turn on the Saute mode initially so the milk gets tempered and starts simmering before we close the lid for pressure cooking. This prevents the milk from curdling.
Beginning with a super clean pot also ensures consistent results. Wipe your inner pot clean to make sure nothing from the last meal is still sticking to it.

Alternative Method: Stovetop Kheer Recipe

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

Add the milk to the sauce pot and give it a few minutes to warm up, then add rinsed and drained rice and nuts. Keep the heat at medium-high and stir intermittently, till the milk reaches a boil.
Turn down the heat to medium and stir till rice get cooked, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the rice variety.
Add sugar and stir till sugar dissolves. Mash the rice using a potato masher or the back of a ladle to make the rice pudding creamy.
Turn off the heat when you reach the right thickness to your liking. Keep in mind that kheer thickens quite a bit as it cools. If it becomes too thick, add more milk and adjust the sugar accordingly.
Finish by stirring in some cardamom powder and garnish with chopped nuts, such as pistachio, almond and cashews. Enjoy hot or chilled!

Kheer, Indian rice pudding, served in a black stone bowl, garnished with pistachios

Serving Suggestion - Serve Hot or Cold

Kheer is often made during festive occasions and as an offering during prayer ceremonies. But I like to make it whenever the craving strikes. The best way to serve kheer is at your preferred temperature - hot, warm or cold.

It's is wonderfully delicious served right from the Instant Pot. But feel free to allow the rice pudding to cool down for 10-20 minutes and serve it warm. After cooling if you see a thin skin form on the top, give it a stir and serve.

To chill, place in large or individual serving bowls, cover the surface(s) directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a 4-5 hours.

Rice Pudding Variations to Try:

There are many variations and names of this Indian food sweet treat all over India. It can also be made with broken wheat, tapioca or vermicelli.

Here are a few that we love:

Vermicelli Kheer or Semiyan: Replace the rice with ½ cup roasted vermicelli noodles and reduce the pressure cooking time to 10 minutes.
Payasam: If you're making Payasam using this recipe, note that jaggery can curdle the milk during pressure cooking, so add it after pressure cooking. Then, simmer it till the payasam thickens to your liking.
Carrot Kheer: Swap out the rice for 3 carrots that have been washed, peeled and shredded (about 3 cups). Follow Steps 1-3 as written, then set Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 7 minutes, on sealing mode. Once the cook time is done, do a quick release. Open the lid after the pin drops. Stir in ground cardamom and allow the mix to cool for a few minutes. Alternatively, puree it using a hand blender. Garnish with more nuts, if desired and enjoy.
Sabudana Kheer: Rinse and soak 1¼ cups tapioca pearls in 2 ½ cups water for 30 minutes. Follow the recipe as written, but reduce the pressure cook time to 10 minutes.
Badam Kheer: Simply swap regular milk with almond milk. I do end up adding 1-2 tablespoons of extra sugar with this option, so adjust sugar to taste. Just know that there is a textural difference as well. Since almond milk doesn't have as much fat as regular milk, the rice pudding is not as rich as the regular one.
Dairy-Free Vegan Kheer: Rice pudding 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 as it should.

Another Popular Variation - Arroz Con Leche

Another popular rice pudding is the Spanish/Latin American rice pudding dessert called Arroz con Leche, which literally translates to 'Rice (Arroz) with Milk (Leche)'.

My kids introduced me to this wonderful dessert during a school project for their Spanish class. The process to make it is the same as kheer.

Simply follow the recipe card instructions with the ingredients below. Stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon in at the very end (just like you would the cardamom).

Arroz Con Leche Ingredients

½ cup Jasmine Rice, rinsed 2-3 times
¼ cup water
4 cups 2% milk (use whole milk for richer taste)
½ cup sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon or 1 Cinnamon Stick

arroz con leche in small blue bowl with wooden spoon

Recipe Tips & Notes

Use any milk in your fridge. Whole, 2%, almond or full-fat coconut milk all work wonderfully.
The quantity of milk depends on your personal preference. If you prefer a chunkier rice pudding, reduce milk to 4 cups. In that case, add only 1/2 cup sugar.
Skip the nuts, if desired. This makes it entirely nut-free, too.
Add water first, temper the milk and use a clean pot. These three tips make for a silky smooth rice pudding every time.
Mash the rice for that sought-after creamy texture. This releases some of the starch in the grains, creating a rich, thick, glossy finish.
Cook time is the time to set for pressure cooking. Total cooking time includes 10 minutes +/- for pressure build-up.
Use this recipe as a guideline and work your magic. I love to keep it simple with the addition of fresh cardamom at the very end, but you can adjust the taste to your liking. Use one or all of the optional ingredients to make a homemade kheer to call your own.
Serve hot, warm, room temperature or cold. This is all about personal preference. If you plan to make ahead and chill, store in an airtight container or the serving bowls of choice. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap directly touching the surface. This prevents a skin from forming.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Sprinkle with nuts when serving.

Kheer FAQ

Which type of rice is good for kheer?

Basmati rice is the preferred rice for authentic Indian Kheer, but Jasmine rice is a close second. Each provides a fragrant flavor.

What are the major ingredients of kheer?

The major ingredients of kheer are rice, milk and sugar.

How do you thicken kheer?

If the Kheer is too thin, reduce the milk on Saute mode for a few minutes in the Instant Pot or over low heat on the Stovetop. Keep in mind the kheer will thicken as it cools.

How to make Kheer using jaggery or brown sugar?

Kheer with jaggery is known as Payasam. It's important to note that the jaggery will curdle the milk during pressure cooking. Simply add ½ cup jaggery or brown sugar after pressure cooking and thicken to your liking.

Popular Instant Pot Indian Desserts

Badam Halwa : The "king" of Indian desserts made with almond flour, milk, butter or ghee (clarified butter), sugar, cardamom and saffron.
Moong Dal Halwa: A rich and decadent Indian dessert made with split mung beans (moong dal), ghee, saffron, cardamom and lots of love.
Mango Cheesecake: Sweet mango blended with a custard-like cream cheese filling and baked in a gluten-free pistachio and cardamom crust.
Carrot Halwa: A popular Indian pudding in which grated carrots are simmered with milk, flavored with sugar and cardamom, and garnished with chopped nuts.
Carrot Burfi: Grated carrots are cooked in flavored milk, then sautéed with almond flour till they form a fudge-like consistency.

More Indian Desserts From My Kitchen

Here are some other Indian desserts that my family and readers really enjoy:

Besan Ladoo: Besan (chickpea flour) is roasted with ghee, flavored with sugar and cardamom, then rolled into spherical little fudge balls.
Coconut Ladoo (Nariyal Ladoo): A traditional Indian fudge-like sweet that is made with dried coconut flakes, condensed or dried milk, sugar and ready in 10 minutes!
Instant Rasmalai: Soft and spongy rasgulla swimming in a silky smooth cream perfumed with almonds, pistachios, saffron and cardamom ready in 30 minutes!
Kulfi Ice Cream: A no-churn ice cream recipe pleasantly perfumed with saffron, cardamom and rosewater, and adorned with an assortment of crunchy nuts.
Baked Gujiya: A baked (not fried!) recipe for milk fudge dumplings filled with khoya/mawa (milk fudge), dried fruits, coconut and cardamom.

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