Kheer - Indian Dessert

Hello everyone!

Today, I want to share a recipe for an Indian dessert called kheer. You may know from reading my previous blog posts that I come from a Paki-Indo background. Recently, I have started exploring the Indian cuisine and learning how to cook using the many colorful and flavorful spices commonly used in India and Pakistan. One of the most popular desserts of India is kheer.

Kheer will be found on the menu at any Indian restaurant, at weddings, parties, and most auspicious occasions. The dessert, kheer, can be compared to an everyday tapioca pudding - but fancier and tastier. Traditionally, kheer is made by cooking rice with milk or heavy cream until it is softened. My take on kheer was a little different. I made this kheer using cream of wheat and I loved it! The texture and the taste of the kheer were great.

The most important thing when cooking this dessert is to make sure the milk or heavy cream does not burn, scorch, stick to the bottom of your pot. If it does, the lovely white color and taste of the pudding will be ruined. So be sure to watch it carefully and keep stirring! Good luck in the kitchen!

Kheer
Serves 12-15

Ingredients
1 stick butter
5 cardamoms
12 tbsp cream of wheat
8 cups of half & half
1 quart heavy whipping cream
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Melt the butter in a big pot (nonstick).

Crush the cardamom pods open. Add them to the butter and swirl around. The smell is intoxicating. Fry them for a couple minutes or until aromatic.

Slowly add the cream of wheat and fry for 2-3 min., making sure that no lumps form.

Then add the half & half slowly using whisk. Start with small portions- you want to make sure that no lumps form in the cream of wheat. One way to do this is start whisking in the center and move out until their is liquid in all of the cream of wheat.

Once you can get to that point, probably after 3-4 cups, pour the rest of the half & half in. Then cook it on high heat until it reaches a boil while constantly stirring. Then turn it to a low heat and cook for one hour uncovered. Remember- the trick to no burning is to keep stirring at 3-5 minute intervals.

Add the heavy whipping cream and the mixture should get thick. Cook for 10-15 more minutes.

Then add one can of sweetened condensed milk. This will act as the sweetener. Taste it and see if it needs more. You will use approximately 1 and 1/2 cans but that depends on your taste. Cook it for another 30 minutes and you're done! Pour it in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so it touches the top of the kheer. This will prevent it from developing a thick skin while it cools. Serve chilled in small glass bowls or parfait cups and enjoy!