Kheer Recipe (Creamy Indian Rice Pudding Made in the Instant Pot)
This kheer recipe is the one I make when the house needs something sweet and a little festive without me standing over a pot. Every spoonful is creamy and cool, with tender rice, the warm perfume of cardamom and saffron, and a crunch of almonds and pistachios on top. It is the easy Indian dessert that empties first at a Diwali table, and it is just as welcome after a weeknight curry.
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Kheer is Indian rice pudding: basmati rice cooked in whole milk with sugar, then finished with cardamom, saffron, nuts, and raisins. This Instant Pot kheer recipe skips the long stirring. A little water heats in the pot first so the milk does not scorch, then everything cooks on the Porridge setting for 20 minutes, followed by a full natural release. Plan on about an hour start to finish, with under 5 minutes of hands-on work.
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Why You'll Love This Kheer Recipe
- There is no babysitting the milk. The stovetop version asks you to stir for close to an hour, and this easy Instant Pot dessert cooks on its own while you get dinner on the table.
- It never catches on the bottom. Heating a splash of water in the pot before the milk goes in is the same trick I use for boiling milk on the stove, and it keeps the base clean.
- Three pantry staples do the heavy lifting. Rice, milk, and sugar make this easy rice kheer recipe, and cardamom, saffron, and nuts turn it into a proper Instant Pot Indian dessert.
- It is a quick rice kheer recipe with very little that can go wrong. If you keep a short list of easy Instant Pot recipes for busy weeks, this one earns its spot.
- It works warm or cold. We like it chilled straight from the fridge, but it is just as good spooned up warm on a cold night.
- It is a natural make-ahead dessert. Kheer tastes better after a few hours in the fridge, which frees up the stove on a busy holiday.
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Ingredients and Substitutes for This Kheer Recipe
- Basmati rice: I use basmati because the long grains stay distinct and fragrant in the milk. Jasmine rice or any Indian white rice works too, and in Bengal the short, sticky Govindobhog rice is the classic choice. Rinse it two or three times and give it a short soak so it cooks evenly.
- Whole milk: Full-fat milk is what makes this kheer recipe rich and creamy, so skip low-fat here. The ratio in the recipe card gives a thick kheer, and you can pour in more milk after cooking if you like it looser.
- Sugar: I use raw sugar, though regular granulated sugar works the same way. The amount in the card makes a mildly sweet kheer, and you can raise it a little if your family likes desserts on the sweeter side.
- Cardamom and saffron: Ground cardamom is the flavor most people remember from a good Indian kheer, and it is what makes this a true cardamom dessert. A few saffron threads add a soft golden color. A few drops of rose water is a lovely addition if you have it.
- Slivered almonds, pistachios, and raisins: They stir in at the end so the nuts keep a little bite. Cashews are a good swap if that is what is in the pantry.
- Kheer with condensed milk: For an extra-thick, extra-rich finish, I stir a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk into the hot kheer after cooking. It turns this into a kheer recipe with condensed milk, but it is optional, and the recipe stands on its own without it.
- Vegan rice kheer: I have not made this with dairy-free milk myself. Full-fat coconut milk or a creamy almond milk should work in the same way.
How to Make Kheer in the Instant Pot
Learning how to make kheer in the Instant Pot comes down to five steps. Here is how to make rice kheer from start to finish, and the full quantities and times are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Heat the water first. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and pour a little water into the inner pot. Let it heat for a minute or two, which is what keeps the milk from sticking and burning on the base.
Step 2: Add the milk, rice and sugar. Pour in the whole milk, add the soaked and drained basmati rice, and stir in the sugar. Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir so nothing settles there.
Step 3: Cook on Porridge for 20 minutes. Close the lid, turn the valve to Sealing, and set the Instant Pot to Porridge on high pressure for 20 minutes. When it beeps, let the pressure come down naturally. A quick release on a pot full of milk can spray out of the valve, so I never rush this part.
Step 4: Stir in the flavorings. Open the lid and give the Instant Pot rice kheer a good stir with a wooden spoon. Add the cardamom, saffron, slivered almonds, pistachios and raisins.
Stir everything through until the kheer looks creamy and the saffron starts to tint the milk. Serve it warm, or let it cool and chill it in the fridge.
Notes From Making This Kheer Recipe
- Keep a spare sealing ring for sweets. Silicone rings hold on to the smell of curries, so I keep a separate ring that I use only for desserts like this Instant Pot kheer. A clean lid and ring keep the kheer tasting of milk and cardamom.
- Pull it while it still looks loose. Kheer thickens quickly as it cools, so a kheer that looks a little runny in the pot will be perfectly spoonable once it sets in the fridge.
- Adjust the texture after cooking. If you want a thinner kheer, stir in a splash of milk. If you want it thicker, let it sit on the Sauté setting for a few minutes, stirring the whole time.
- Let the pressure drop on its own. The natural release finishes cooking the rice gently, and it is what gives this Instant Pot Indian rice pudding its soft texture.
- Size the batch to your pot. Milk foams as it cooks, so pressure cooker desserts like this one need room, and I never scale this recipe up in a small Instant Pot.
What to Serve With Kheer
This kheer recipe is the sweet finish to an Indian meal, so build the rest of the table around it with these Indian dessert recipes and dinners:
- Serve it after a pot of chicken biryani, and make the kheer earlier in the day so it has time to chill.
- Pair it with dal makhani and garlic butter naan for a vegetarian dinner that feels like a celebration.
- Start the night with crispy Punjabi potato samosas, which you can fry while the kheer chills.
- Set it next to quick instant kalakand and coconut ladoo with condensed milk for a spread of quick and easy Indian desserts that comes together in an afternoon.
- Plan the whole party with these 35 best Diwali recipes, which cover the starters, mains and sweets around this Diwali food favorite.
Kheer Recipe FAQs
Kheer is the best-known Indian rice dessert, made from rice simmered slowly in milk with sugar, usually flavored with cardamom and saffron and finished with nuts. It is known as chawal ki kheer in North India and paal payasam in South India, and every family has its own Indian kheer recipe for festivals. If you love it, try the smooth, set version made with ground rice in this saffron pistachio phirni.
Kheer can be served either way, and we prefer it chilled. Store this kheer recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. It thickens as it sits, so stir in a little milk before serving.
Yes, kheer freezes well. Portion the cooled kheer into freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for a few hours rather than on the counter, then stir in some milk to bring back a smooth, creamy kheer.
Yes, it works on the stove with a little more attention. Heat a little water in a heavy-bottomed pot first, add the milk and bring it to a boil, then add the rinsed rice and simmer on low heat. Stir every few minutes so the milk does not catch, and cook until the rice is completely soft and the milk has thickened before adding the sugar and flavorings. It takes noticeably longer than the Instant Pot rice pudding.
Whether you make it for Diwali or for a Tuesday, this kheer recipe gives you a creamy, cardamom-scented Indian rice pudding with almost no effort. It is the easiest way I know of how to make kheer at home, and it belongs among your go-to Indian desserts. Set the Instant Pot, walk away, and let the fridge do the rest.
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the kheer
- ½ cup basmati rice
- ½ cup water
- 5 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sugar raw or granulated
To finish
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds and pistachios
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk optional
- A few drops of rose water optional
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in water 2-3 times, then soak it in fresh water for 10-15 minutes and drain.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté, pour in the water, and heat it for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the milk, drained rice, and sugar, then stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot. Press Cancel.
- Close the lid, turn the valve to Sealing, and cook on Porridge (high pressure) for 20 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for about 20 minutes, until the float valve drops. Do not do a quick release.
- Open the lid and stir the kheer well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the almonds and pistachios, raisins, cardamom, and saffron, plus the condensed milk and rose water if using.
- Serve warm, or cool completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to serve cold.
Notes
- Heating the water before adding the milk keeps the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- The kheer looks runny when the lid comes off and thickens a lot as it cools. Stir in more milk for a thinner kheer, or simmer on Sauté for a few minutes, stirring constantly, for a thicker one.
- For a sweeter kheer, increase the sugar to ¾ cup.
- Use a separate sealing ring for sweets so the kheer does not pick up savory smells.
- Do not make a larger batch in a small Instant Pot, since milk foams as it cooks.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator. Stir in a little milk before serving.
- Stovetop: Heat the water in a heavy-bottomed pot, add the milk and bring it to a boil, add the rice and simmer on low heat, stirring every few minutes, until the rice is soft and the milk has thickened. Add the sugar and finishing ingredients at the end.