This creamy, always comforting slow-cooked rice pudding is scented with cardamom and sometimes topped with nuts or dried fruit. Versions of it exist across South Asia and beyond, each one slightly different but speaking the same nostalgic language. I’m serving it with a little twist here—a brûléed top for that crackly crème brûlée moment, and a scoop of mango sorbet for brightness and as a nod to the classic sticky rice flavor.
Note: If you are not using a nonstick pot, be extra careful and stir every 4 to 5 minutes; otherwise the rice pudding will definitely stick to the bottom. In the event it does, quickly empty the contents into a new pot and start simmering from low heat again. If you do not have a kitchen blowtorch, you can skip the brûlée. Serve warm or chill for 2 to 4 hours and garnish with saffron threads.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Yield
5–6 servings
Ingredients
5
1
3
1
1
¼
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
To a medium heavy-bottomed nonstick pot, add 5 cups (1.2 L) whole milk, 1 cup (240 ml) water, one 14-oz. (415 ml) can sweetened condensed milk, 3 green cardamom pods, and one 1" (2.5-cm) cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and add 1 cup (200 g) jasmine rice or any short‑grain rice, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring often and scraping all the way down to the bottom of the pot to make sure the mixture doesn’t stick or scorch, until the rice is tender and the mixture is thickened, 50 to 60 minutes. Add ¼ tsp. fine sea salt and stir to combine. If the consistency feels too thick add, ¼ cup [60 ml] water and stir to reach your desired consistency.
Step 2
Scoop the kheer into heatproof serving bowls and top each with 1 to 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, ensuring the surface is covered completely. Then carefully brûlée using a kitchen blowtorch, moving in a circular pattern, until the sugar is melted and a deep amber color. (You want a thin, smooth crust that shatters when broken.) Top with a scoop of sorbet and serve immediately.
