What is Kheer?
A bowl of kheer is like a comfort blanket for any Indian. Hot or cold, the spice-speckled milky rice is thinner and more flavoursome than the mass of bland rice pudding that enriches memories of school dinners. Growing up, my mother would take Kheer to the temple as offerings at Diwali. After it was blessed, it would be distributed to people to eat. I don’t know whether it was because of the blessings or because we had to wait so long that made it taste more delicious. I’m leaning towards the latter.
What kind of rice should I use?
Traditionally, Kheer is made with basmati rice and not short-grain pudding rice. It can be made directly from washed and soaked aged basmati or with leftover cooked rice (less creamy than the former). Basmati rice makes a huge difference to the flavour of the Kheer and is what differentiates it from traditional western rice pudding recipes.
Mixing rice
Controversial disclosure: My recipe for Kheer uses a 50/50 combination of aged basmati and short-grain pudding rice. Not only does this add the fragrance of traditional Kheer, it also ensures a level of creaminess that makes me weak at the knees. Having said this, feel free to mix things up by using 100% basmati or 100% short-grain rice if you like. There are no hard and fast rules, only personal preferences. After all, the rice is just a carrier for copious amounts of milk and/or cream in any rice pudding recipe.
Rice pudding, remixed
Name a better combo than white chocolate and raspberries. I’ll wait. Stir chopped white chocolate through the cooked Kheer and allow it to melt into a liquid gold puddle right before your eyes. Not only does it smell like a chocolate shop, it also adds a silky, melted ganache vibe that demands the tart juiciness of fresh raspberries. Serve the finished Kheer hot, warm or cold but most importantly, don’t forget the berries and extra chocolate shavings on top.
How can I veganise this White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer?
I haven’t tested a vegan version of this recipe. That being said, you could try it with almond milk and coconut cream. There are some wonderful vegan white chocolate brands available now. iChoc have a great one.
Ingredients you’ll need to make White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer
Aged basmati rice Short-grain pudding rice Whole milk Sugar Cardamom Saffron Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract Raspberries White chocolate Dark chocolate Flaked almonds Chopped pistachios
How to make White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer
Pin it for later!
Like this? You’ll love my Gulab Jamun Cake
Share this recipe
How to make White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer • If you want sweeter Kheer, add 1 tbsp more sugar. Indeed, feel free to omit the sugar completely you don’t want to add it. The sweetness mostly comes from chocolate in this recipe. • Add 2 tsp rosewater for a delicious raspberry and rose Kheer. It really is delicious this way. • If you don’t like white chocolate, you could stir in chopped dark chocolate. You may need to adjust the sugar quantities slightly given that white chocolate is much sweeter than dark chocolate. • For the chocolate shavings: Using a sharp knife, carefully scrape the back of a large chocolate bar starting at the side furthest from you. Keep your fingers and body out of the way and use two hands to scrape the surface with the knife, in a long motion. Alternatively, grate the chocolate using a microplane or use a vegetable peeler. This plain milk powder burfi is the Indian sweet recipe my followers request the most. I think White Burfi has such a simple charm and universal appeal. It has true pistachio flavours (not just food colour or pistachio essence) and of course, gold and silver leaf on top. Perfect for gifting. Your family and friends will love it! Here’s an entirely foolproof recipe that delivers amazing results every time. I created this recipe using my favourite eggless cupcake recipe and it’s always a hit at parties. Layers of cardamom burfi, classic chocolate chip cookie dough and milk chocolate combined to create the wickedest chocolate burfi you’ll ever experience. Enjoy as a square or as a hot fudge-like pudding with ice cream. It is adapted from my Perfect Plain White Burfi recipe and it’s completely foolproof. Each square of burfi is perfectly crumbly and melts in the mouth. Indian sweets have never been so simple! Laced with ground cardamom and vanilla extract, floral undertones are created beneath a creamy layer of white chocolate. As soon as you take a bite, the fudge begins to melt on your tongue and a burst of subtle flavours take over. Bliss. Layer up the flavours, set and cut into large squares.
