Word on the street is you can make kheer in an Instant Pot. Throw in some milk, rice, and sugar, hit that “porridge” setting. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! Tried it. Decent. Tastes like rice pudding, not kheer. Admittedly, you can’t go wrong with milk, rice, and sugar, but kheer is on another level. There are two kheers I’ve tasted that I recall as outstanding. One – uncle Mir’s kheer that we used to have every Eid. And two – the kheer from my wedding and my sister’s, brother’s, etc…a most revered kheer that we often look forward to more than the wedding itself. After a couple generic kheer trials, I knew it was missing that something. And my night wakings would continue unless my kheer tasted more like kheer kheer and less like Asian Buffet kheer. On a whim, I called my wedding caterers, Kababesh Grill, to see if I could get some clarity. The owner answered and not only generously shared the recipe but gave me duas and well wishes as good uncles do. This recipe is an easy, lightened up version of his kheer while staying true to its creamy, show-stopping, wedding-worthy taste. It’s a rich and indulgent dessert without being overly sweet or heavy.
What is Kheer?
Kheer, also called chawal ki kheer, is a South Asian style rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and rice. Traditionally, the milk and rice is reduced down for hours which results in a beautiful taste and texture. More Quick and Easy Desserts: 20-Minute Sheer Khurma, 20-Minute Sooji Ka Halwa, Crushed Pineapple Dessert
Ingredients for Instant Pot Kheer
This kheer only requires 6 ingredients. In addition to milk, rice, and cane sugar, I use half & half and condensed milk to give it that essential depth and flavor. Optionally, you can add nuts, saffron, and kewra or rose water.
What kind of rice to use for Instant Pot Kheer
I use basmati rice, but you can use whatever rice you have on hand. In this recipe, we use a spice grinder or food processor to break the rice prior to adding it in the recipe.
Should you rinse the rice?
Though I usually wash and rinse my rice, I don’t when making kheer. I find the starch actually helps enhance the creamy texture (plus, dry rice is just easier to work with). If you prefer, you can certainly rinse.
How to make Kheer in the Instant Pot
This kheer is so easy to make, it almost seems unfair. All you do is:
How long does it take to make Kheer in the Instant Pot?
It takes 45 minutes for the Instant Pot to build up pressure, cook, and naturally release. Other than that, there are only 15 minutes of active hands-on time before and after.
Tips to make Kheer in the Instant Pot
To get the proper texture: It’s important to grind the rice prior to cooking. Don’t worry if the rice is not completely homogenous after being ground. After cooking, make sure you use your wooden spoon to mash the rice against the sides of the Instant Pot. If you prefer, you can use cardamom powder instead of whole cardamom. If so, add the cardamom powder at the end with the sugar and condensed milk. To double (or halve) the recipe, simply double (or halve) the ingredients, but pressure cook for the same amount of time. Half & Half is half milk, half cream. So if you don’t have it or can’t find it, you can replace it with one cup heavy whipping cream and one cup whole milk. You can also try using a blend of half and half and heavy whipping cream. Feel free to play around with these ratios and make it richer to your liking.
How to make Kheer on the Stovetop
I’ve tested this recipe many times (and then had my sister, cousin, and friend test it for good measure), but I still haven’t gotten around to trying it on the stovetop. Since there is no evaporation when pressure cooking in the Instant Pot, you’ll need to add more liquid to achieve the same ‘cooked down’ taste. You’ll also need to stir more frequently to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
How to make Dairy-Free Vegan Kheer
Though I haven’t tried it myself, you can easily make this kheer vegan by substituting the milk and regular half & half with soy milk and dairy-free half & half. You can also use all soymilk and add coconut cream after cooking in the Instant Pot. (I have tried using a can of coconut cream after cooking and it worked beautifully to thicken while adding a light coconut taste.) To replace the condensed milk, you can use vegan condensed milk, or just use more sugar or sweetener of choice.
For a lightened up, healthier Kheer
For a lighter version for every day, you can replace the half & half with more milk and add more sugar or sweetener of choice in place of the condensed milk. It won’t be as complex in flavors, but you’ll get your kheer fix.
How to serve Kheer
Kheer is usually served either hot or chilled. I prefer leaving it plain with a simple garnish of nuts, but you can make it extra fancy with ghee-sauteéd nuts, golden raisins, or coconut flakes. So without further ado, here’s my self-proclaimed best kheer recipe. I hope you try it and see for yourself! If you are looking for more milk based Pakistani desserts, you’ll love my recipe for 20-Minute Seviyan (Sheer Khurma)! If you do, please drop a rating/comment below. I always love hearing from you!!
More Pakistani and Indian Dessert Recipes
Instant Pot Carrot HalwaEasy Jaggery Rice in the Rice CookerSooji Ka Halwa (Semolina Halwa) For more Instant Pot Recipes, here are 10+ Easy Pakistani Instant Pot recipes.
