Instant Pot Kheer | Indian Rice Pudding

Kheer, is a creamy and delicious Indian dessert served at weddings, temples or at any festive occasions. Rice Kheer is a Indian style rice pudding made with the basic pantry ingredients and flavored with saffron and cardamom.

Sharing the instant pot version of making the kheer, which is done in 30 minutes and no baby sitting needed.

Whether you serve it warm or chilled, it is one of the simplest desserts you will make and enjoy any time of the year.

What is Kheer?

Kheer is a Indian Style rice pudding, made with milk, rice, and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and saffron and topped with nuts. Unlike American style rice pudding which is thick, kheer can be made from thin to thicker to porridge consistency.

With such basic ingredients needed to make this kheer, it is usually made year around and enjoyed by young to old.

In South India, Kheer is called Payasam where sugar is replaced with Jaggery. In North Indian rice kheer is also called as chawal ki kheer.

When you think about kheer, the first thing that comes to mind is the rice kheer, but there are many other varaiations in making kheer. Few other kheer recipes which are popular are sabudan kheer, carrot kheer and semiya kheer.

Here is the stove top method of making rice kheer and you can find the video here.

Why make the kheer in Instant Pot?

The traditional way of making kheer takes time ( atleast an hour or more) with the constant stirring of the milk and sugar mixture. Its important to periodically mix it, to avoid burned bottom. We cook the milk and sugar till the milk reduces in volume, rice is completely cooked and you attain a creamy looking kheer.

What if I tell you that you can get the same exact taste, by making the kheer in the instant pot. Yes, making kheer in instant pot is a breeze. Add all the ingredients, press the porridge setting and come back in 30 minutes to enjoy a creamy kheer. Who wouldn’t want that?

Trick to avoid milk from burning?

The main issue when cooking with milk is, it gets stuck in the bottom of the vessel and gets burned. You don’t want to have burnt smell to your kheer.

To avoid that, add quarter cup of water to the instant pot vessel. we need to add the water after frying the nuts. The heat from the pan will instantly heat up the water. Then you can add the other ingredients.

What kind of rice to use?

Basmati rice is typically used, but any short grain or long grain rice should work. Just soak the rice for ten to fifteen minutes before making the kheer.

Serving suggestions for Rice Kheer?

Rice kheer can be served both warm or chilled. It is one of those recipes which can be eaten hot or cold.

Personally I enjoy kheer when its chilled. If you are having hard time deciding on how to serve – in the winter, serve it warm and in the summer, serve it chilled.

To make Vegan Kheer ( vegan rice pudding)

Substitute ghee with vegan butter.

Replace milk with almond milk

Making Kheer in stove top pressure cooker

Don’t have an instant pot…. no worries. Even I didnt have one until recently. The kheer can be easily made in the pressure cooker.

Just make sure you use a large pressure cooker. Reduce the quantity of milk from 5 cups to 3 cups while cooking. This will help us from over spilling the milk. Add rest of the milk after rice is cooked.

How to Make Instant Pot Rice Kheer ( with step by step pictures):

1)Wash the rice in running cold water, till water runs clear.

2) Soak the rice in enough water for fifteen minutes.

3) While the rice is soaking, prep the rest of the ingredients – chop the nuts, measure the sugar and milk., powder the cardamom.

4) Remove your instant pot and make sure it doesn’t smell like a curry. If it does you may want to wash it once before making the kheer.

5) Turn the instant pot to saute mode. When the pot gets hot, add a heaping tea spoon of ghee. When the ghee melts add the almonds and cashew and fry for two to three minutes. Add the raisins and fry for another two minutes.

6) Add quarter cup of water to the pot. The heat in the pot will make the water bubble instantly. Adding water in the beginning will help the milk from not burning.

7) Now add the milk, rice, sugar and saffron. Give a stir.

8) Close the lid and adjust the vent to sealing position.

9) Press cancel and click porridge button and adjust the time to cook for 20 minutes on high pressure.

10 )Once done, let the pressure release naturally. Add the cardamom powder and mix the kheer.

Taste the kheer and adjust the sugar.

11) Press the saute button and cook the kheer for two to three minutes or until you get the desired consistency. Remember that kheer thickens further on cooling.

Few more Indian Sweets made in the Instant Pot

Instant Pot Almond Burfi

Instant Pot Carrot Halwa

Instant Pot Sweet Pongal

Instant Pot Sooji Halwa