kheer

 How to Prepare Classic Rice Kheer 

1. Introduction & cultural value 

Chawal ki kheer (rice kheer) is one of the most popular sweets in Indian food. It does not know boundaries of the region, religion, and even time. Such simple dish requires several ingredients: rice, milk, sugar and cardamom, but these few essentials tell much about the cultural and spiritual heritage of South Asia.

Kheer is not a food, it is more like a ritual, memory, celebration, and a comfort at the same time. Whether it is festivals such as Diwali, Eid, Raksha Bandhan to simple family suppers, kheer is served on a plate in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal or even in Sri Lanka. It is a meal that represents happy times, prosperity and thankfulness.

The Devotion Cake

Kheer has traditionally been served in temples during religious occasions. Also called is known as payasam in the South, payesh in Bengal, this dish is estimated to be one of the oldest desserts in India, dating back more than thousands of years. Kheer is still served today to gods and worshipers, as prasadam, in temples (such as the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa) in the Hindu faith.

A Symbolic token of Unity

There is hardly any dish that Indians can agree upon on, but rice kheer is the Indian dish, which brings diverse communities together despite the state and the cultural background. The technique and the application may be a bit different, the principal remains the same: warm rice in milk are sweetened and flavored with such things as cardamom, saffron and nuts.

A Dessert of feelings

Kheer is also connected to nostalgic memories, the memory of mothers gently mixing in pots in the stove, the memories of grandparents giving it to us warm and loving or the memory of sharing it with the friends during festivals. It is soul food calming and comforting.

This article is a praise of rice kheer not only on how it is to be made but on how to know it, enjoy and master it.

2. Important Components and Function 

There is simplicity in rice kheer which makes it beautiful. All the ingredients are very much essential in preparing the necessary blend of texture, flavor and sweetness.

1. Milk

Kheer is made out of milk and its richness depends on it. Whole milk which is full-fat is best used due to its creaminess. The milk is then simmered down during the cooking process till it becomes thick and thus, kheer gains its rich texture. Evaporated milk or milk and cream can also be used, to make it richer.

2. Rice

The rice taken to prepare kheer should be starchy but also not excessive in aroma. This is mostly short/mid-grain varieties of rice such as basmati or gobindobhog. As the rice cooks, it works in the milk, giving a thicker consistency of the dessert.

3. Sugar

The most common sweetener is white granulated sugar. Others add jaggery as well though this should be added when the heat has been switched off so as avoid curdling. The amount of sugar is something that can be leveled according to the taste involved.

4. Cardamom

Ground cardamom or cardamom pods are used because of the unique sweet-spicy scent. This spice goes well with the creaminess of milk and sugar, and enhances the kheer.

5. Saffron (optional)

Golden colored and luxuriously scented with saffron strand soaked in warm milk, kheer gets its color and aroma. The saffron is optional and adds prestige to the dish.

6. Nuts | Raisins

Roasted ghee cashews, almond, pistachios and golden raisins are common ingredients added to the kheer. They provide crunchiness and additional wealth. Do not use excessively a lot of them because this can ruin the food.

3. Varieties of Rice That is used in Kheer 

Rice, although considered to be a humble component, will make the difference on how your kheer taste and feels at the end.

Basmati Rice

It is the most frequently used seed at North India to prepare kheer. Basmati is fragrant and long grain rice, and it has a soft but noticeable bite. Basmati that is aged works best.

Gobindobhog Rice

It is a Bengal, long rammed rice with a fragrant scent that is suitable to make kheer or payesh. It crumbles exquisitely and it still preserves a toothsome edge.

Surti Kolam or Kolam

These varieties are common in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, and are excellent alternatives to basmati, since they are short grained. They produce a soft creamy kheer.

Sticky or Broken rice

Broken or slightly sticky rice is of preference in certain South Indian recipes, particularly paal payasam. It makes the milk become thick quicker and has a different texture in the mouth.

Rice Choosing Tips:

Avoid paraboiled rice which does not soak on milk.

Wash rice so that it is not left with starch.

To save on cooking time soak it in water 30 minutes.

4. Preparation Techniques 

Rice kheer is a dish that needs care and time to perfect. The key techniques are the following:

Infantile boiling of the Milk

One should never use low-fat milk, and a good-heavy pot is needed so as to avoid burning. Heat the milk, and just before it boils turn the heat lower so that it simmers. Stir occasionally so that it does not stick.

The Rice was added to the water.

Put into the boiling milk soaked and drained rice. Stir every once in a while to prevent clumping. Slow cooking of the rice is encouraged and the rice is expected to absorb the milk and become soft without breaking.

Attaining the Right Consistency

Kheer must not be runny or even too thick. It is expected to cover the back of a spoon. You will recall that it becomes still thicker on being cooled.

Sweetening the Plot

Do not add sugar until the rice is done. Add plenty of stirring to dissolve it.

Garnishing and Flavoring

Add cardamom and saffron at the last. Before serving or after a chilling period sprinkle fried nuts and raisins.

Pro Tips:

Keep stirring until it does not burn.

It should be a copper or stainless steel pot, not an aluminum one.

Simmer, not boil and be patient, the flavor will be destroyed by hurry.

Conclusion: 

Traditional rice pudding is not quite the dessert, but a nice picture of all the warmth, love, and tradition. The laboratory of kheer is still hard at work, whether, in the oldest temple kitchens, or in the most modern homes, kheer still remains good cheer to every dining table. One can hardly say more of its mixed ingredients rice, milk, sugar, and a tad of cardamom, except that they develop a simple and a godly dish.

Making of kheer itself is a meditative one. It takes time, concentration and sensitivity. Once the liquid of milk simmers and thickens, the scent of cardamom and saffron fills the air, and one must agree there is certain sense of nostalgia that captivates the heart. Homes find their own way to make kheer- a thick and creamy version or the light and soupy one. Some can cook with basmati rice, some can cook using gobindobhog, or like broken rice. The flavours may vary but what is given is the same, that is kheer is a food cooked with love.

The preparation of rice kheer through the scratch method in the modern world is an eye-opener that reminds the person to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. Whatever one likes it hot or chilled, during a festival or after a weekday revolving meal, kheer still unites all generations.

When you make this classic food next time, then you should keep in mind that you are not preparing a dessert. You are making memoirs, following tradition, and enjoying culinary heritage.