Rice Pudding – Lightly sweetened, creamy goodness without any cream that is infused with saffron and cardamom! In India, Rice pudding, kheer or payasam is a quintessential dessert that is made often to celebrate big and small happy moments in life.
This comforting recipe was developed on one busy evening when I was having some friends over for dinner. My planned Mango Pannacotta did not look very promising and I was in a frenzy to make something as a backup dessert. I tossed in rice, ghee, sugar, cardamom and some milk in my InstaPot, pressed porridge button and ran to get the door as the guests arrived for dinner.
An hour later, I realized that the Instant Pot was at the keep warm mode and had depressured. I opened the IP to see creamy, fluffy rice with the beautiful aroma of saffron and cardamom. I stirred in some more milk and let it sit for few more hours on warm mode until we were ready to serve the dessert.
We scooped out some warm rice pudding in the bowls. At first, it looked a bit too thick for me who is used to eating much thin Rice Kheer. As I put in the first spoonful of the pudding in my mouth, it took me back the memory lane. It reminded me of my mom’s kheer with the aroma of cardamom and also the creamy kulfi (milk ice cream) with a hint of nuts and saffron. Needless to say, the dessert was devoured by all and I was left mesmerized as to how easy it was to make.
I have made it many times since then, tweaking the recipe, adjusting the ingredients to now what I call as a satisfying and easy rice pudding recipe . No eggs or cream, just a few simple ingredients that make a heavenly treat!
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- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ cup white rice basmati or short grain amber mor
- 4-5 cups low-fat milk divided
- ½ cup sugar more or less depending on taste
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 4 tablespoon nuts almonds, and walnuts coarsely chopped or sliced(optional)
- 2 tablespoon raisins optional
- ½ teaspoon saffron optional
- 1 tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut optional
- Turn Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add ghee and rice. Sauté for 30 seconds.
Add 3 cups low-fat milk, 1 cup of water, sugar, cardamom powder, nuts, saffron, raisins, coconut, and salt.
- Close Instant Pot lid with the pressure valve to sealing. Press Porridge button. Allow Natural Pressure Release.
- Open Instant Pot, Mash the rice with the back of a spoon. Add 1-2 cups of low-fat milk (depending on the consistency you like). Add more sugar if needed.
Cook on saute for 2-3 mins or keep on the warm mode until ready to be served. Serve Warm or Chilled
Recipe Video
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Author: Archana
Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
looks delicious!
Thank you!
Looks scrumptious ?
Thank you Lathi!
Great recipe, nice presentation 🙂
Cheers !
Thank you Hans!
Archana, I too went down memory lane – this is close to something my Mom made for a little treat when I was a child.:) 🙂
Thank you!! I hope you will try this new easy and healthy dessert!
This is lovely and delicious. Smooth, creamy. The cardamom and saffron make it wonderfully different from other rice puddings. Thank you so much for the recipe!
You are welcome Bobbie! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. It is one of my all time fav dessert!
Easy recipe for a quick but tasty dessert. I made it today-and I do have a few suggestions which I will institute when I make this another time-i.e. to add the cardamom, saffron, raisins and chopped nuts in step 5 rather than step 2. So that the raisins and nuts don’t get overcooked and smashed. And also adding the cardamom and saffron last helps retain their flavors.
Hi Kalyani! So Glad you liked this easy rice pudding. I agree that the nuts can be added in the end, but I usually add powdered nuts as I have some picky boys in the house. But yes for adult taste it might work out better if you add them later.
Do you think that it’s possible to sub coconut milk? Have milk allergy so would appreciate your recommendations.
Yes! That should work great, coconut milk or any other but milk will work. Just remember to add cardamom and saffron to give it a nice aroma.
Hi, this is my 1st recipe in my new IP that i tried today and it turned out so good . Thankyou so much and by the way i will be trying shrimp biriyani tomorrow
Hi Sindu, so glad you enjoyed rice pudding in IP. I have helped many friends with a quick start in their IP and this is always my go-to recipe. It is no-fail, quick and so yummy! Let me know how you like Shrimp Biryani. Thank you!
Amazing recipe Archana. We loved the pudding! I tried your carrot kheer and butter chicken too. They were great. This is my go to website whenever I want to try something new with my IP. Thank you.
Btw this is my first comment ever on any food blog. I felt I must thank you.
Hi Divya! Thank you SO much. I am so happy to hear that you are trying my recipes and enjoying them. And I am SO honored to know that this is your first comment on a food blog. These comments truly make my day!
I have some green cardamon pods. Can those be used instead of ground; and if so, how many?
Hi Jery! Yes green cardamom pods will also work well. You can add 8-10 pods. Let me know how you like this yummy rice pudding.
Hi Archana, which rice did you use? Can we use sona masoori rice?
Hi! I use white basmati rice but soon masoori rice will work well too! Let me know how you like it.
Hi Archana, the kheer turned out scrumptious! My husband asked if I put condensed milk because of the texture. He was amazed that it tasted so good with simple ingredients. I used Basmati rice as it was my Udyapan and I didn’t want to take a chance with sona masoori.Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome!! so happy to hear that you enjoyed this. This seriously is my FAV kheer recipe. So creamy and delicious without any cream and all handsfree 🙂 Thank you for your feedback, makes me so happy!!
Gorgeous flavour. But I have made this twice and still way too much liquid. Even before adding the extra, which obviously is not necessary. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Elyse! I am glad you are enjoying the flavor. Lets figure out why its too liquids for you. What kind of rice are you using? I use white Basmati rice with 3 cups of 2% milk. Then after I open I add more milk to bring to thinner consistency. Do you cook it with 3 cups of milk?
how can i scale it up for 30 people ?
Hi Neetu, I assume you have a 6-qt Instant Pot.? I would start with 3X the ingredients. The IP insert should not be more than 3/4th full. Cook time will still be the SAME. This is also a great make ahead recipe so you can make it a day ahead and also make 2 batches if needed. Also the pudding does thicken up and you will have to add more milk just before serving. Once you have your first batch ready you will also have a good idea on the portion.
Thanks. Yes i have a 6 qt one.
Hi Neetu, ok so I would do it 3X and then see if you need more!
Do u soak the rice before adding it in step 1? I made the carrot halwa n it was delicious.
Hi Aval, so glad you enjoyed the carrot halwa. I do not soak rice before adding it to the pudding. Literally a dump recipe that comes out so creamy and delicious
Thanks Archana. Will try this over the weekend. That sounds super easy:)
I can’t wait to hear how you like it ?
Hi Archana, Do you think I can substitute Jaggery in place of Sugar. Is milk going to separate if you add all the ingredients with jaggery?Mom traditionally makes with Jaggery and I love that flavor.
Hey! Yes you can absolutely add jagger in place of sugar. Just put jagger in the end and do not mix after adding jaggery, so it will not stick. Let me know, I have eaten kheer with jaggery and it does have much more deep flavors.
thank you! I will let you know how it turns out. Love all your recipes especially the instant pot recipes. Easy and delicious!
Thank you!
I just made this. This was delicious! Thanks so much!
Awesome Swapna!! thank you for letting me know!
Can I use whole milk instead of low fat?
Yes you can. Add 1/2 water 1/2 whole milk while cooking so it does not stick to the pan. After it’s done cooking the remaining milk can be all Whole milk
This is the first thing I made in my instant pot and it turned out great thanks!
Congrats on your new Instant Pot! So glad you enjoyed this! Please try out more of my easy and delicious instant pot recipes!
I have a questio : When I make kheer on stove top, I had to add sugar last, otherwise rice won’t cook. In IP, will the rice cook if I add sugar along with rice and milk? Also, I prefer mushier rice in kheer. Does the porridge setting cooks rice mushier or I increase the time?
Hi Sejal, Porridge mode makes perfect rice kheer. Do you have short grain white rice like surti kolam or ambe mor ? It comes out delicious and soft cooked.
Archana, Thank you SOOOO much for this fantastic recipe – really works!! Reminded me of the mouth watering kheer we had in India made lovingly by our moms. I followed the recipe exactly as stated, except that I added the nuts in Step 5 and added cardamom and saffron at the end to retain their flavor. Everyone asked whether we had added condensed milk.
You are welcome! I agree, I like to think of it as kulfi kheer.
I’m craving something lovely and comforting, and I adore kheer. Do you think the addition of orange blossom water or rose water might go well? I have some in my cupboard I’ve been dying to use. Also, I believe I’m out of raisins, but have dried apricots. Do you think those would clash?
Hi Amy! You can try either orange blossom or rose. And you can totally skip raisins. Enjoy!
Hi! How long does it cook on porridge mode? I’ve always put in the time suggested in recipes for porridge mode. And if I double the recipe, would I adjust the time?
20 mins on low pressure is the preset tome. Works for rice pudding and same time even even you double the recipe.
Awesome recipe – so simple and yet so sumptuous ! Thanks! I just added 1 extra cup of milk in the pot (4 cups of milk plus 1 cup water as suggested) and did Porridge mode on high for 20 minutes. The taste / texture was perfect ! Thank you so much for this recipe !
Thank you for the feedback. This is my go to dessert now.