Instant Pot Kheer [ Indian Rice Pudding]

5 from 1 vote

Make creamy Instant Pot Kheer with this easy dump and start recipe. No stirring or monitoring needed!

Get perfect Indian rice pudding with milk, rice and sugar in 25 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine: Gujarati, Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Smruti

Add cold water, milk, sugar and rice (in that order) to the instant pot. The water keeps the milk from scorching the base and avoids the dreaded "burn" warning.
3 cups whole milk , ½ cup sugar , ¼ cup water , ½ cup long grain rice
Close the lid and set the mode to 'porridge' for 20 minutes.
Let the kheer cook and after the cooking cycle is done, let all the pressure release naturally. Open the lid.
Set the mode to 'sauté'. Add mixed nuts, chirodi and cardamom. Mix well.
½ teaspoon cardamom powder, 2 tablespoon charoli, 2 tablespoon slivered almonds
Let the kheer cook for 5 minutes and press cancel.
Mix well and serve cold or warm topped with dried rose petals and saffron. This kheer tastes great with piping hot puris.
⅛ teaspoon saffron strands, 1 teaspoon rose petals to top

Use the right milk: For a truly "quintessential" creamy texture, Whole Milk is non-negotiable. Lower fat percentages (1% or 2%) will result in a much thinner pudding that may require extra sautéing to reduce. Also, use fresh milk as far as possible. Stale milk has higher acidity and tends to curdle under pressure in the instant pot.

The Water Layer: Always add a splash of cold water to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert before adding the milk. This creates a thin barrier that prevents the milk proteins from scalding and sticking to the steel base.

Natural Pressure Release (NPR) Only: Never perform a Quick Release (QR) when cooking milk or starchy foods like rice. The pressure can cause the hot milk to foam up and spray through the steam vent, creating a mess and a burn hazard. Always let the pressure drop naturally.

The Cooling Factor: Remember that Doodhpaak and Kheer thickens significantly as it cools. For the best texture, stop the "Sauté" mode while the kheer still looks slightly thinner than your final desired consistency.

Make it Vegan: Simply swap dairy based milk for a non-dairy milk. Use 2 cups of canned coconut milk and 1 cup of water or thin coconut milk from a carton to prevent the "Burn" notice. Or use cashew milk, the thickest of the non-dairy milks. Reduce the time to 12-15 minutes to keep the sugars of the milk from scorching the base of the instant pot.

Instant Pot: Remember to always account for the time needed for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. The cook time listed does not account for this.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.