Rice Kheer/ Rice Pudding

Kheer is the most common sweet dish in India. No festival or celebration is complete without Kheer. It is a creamy mixture of rice and milk with nuts to add crunch to the recipe. My twist is adding grated coconut to this rice pudding- it brings right amount of freshness and aroma is the dessert. This is very easy to prepare!

Ingredients:

• 1/4th cup basmati rice (washed and drained) 
• 5 cups milk
• 2-3 cardamom (Ilaychi) crushed
• 2 tbsp almonds (badam) chopped
• A pinch of saffron threads (kesar)
• 1 tbsp skinned pistachio (Pista) chopped
• 1 tbsp raisins (kismis)
• 1 tbsp coconut (grated)
• 2-3 tbsp sugar or as per taste

Method:

1. Put the rice, milk and cardamom in a pan, bring to boil and simmer gently until the rice is soft and the grains are starting to break up.
2. Take 2 spoon of warm milk and add saffron thread in it, till it yellowish colour appears.
3. Add almonds, pistachio, coconut and raisins and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
4. If rice is soft then mix the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.

Serve either hot or chilled.