Kheer (Rice Pudding)

Wish you all a very Happy Dushera! Dushera being a celebration of the triumph of Good over evil, it is celebrated across India with a lot of enthusiasm. The day before Dushera is the ninth day of Navaratri. Traditionally in my home, we have special pooja and we worship Goddess Durga with lot of love and faith. That day we make couple of traditional dishes to offer Goddess Durga as prasad. And one of them is Kheer or Rice Pudding. There are many different traditional ways to make Rice Pudding. I am sharing my version for making Rice Pudding, that I find to be quick and instant. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice

1-2 tsp. Ghee

4-5 cup Milk

1-1/4 cup Sugar / 1 6oz-8oz can condensed milk

1 tsp. Cardamom Powder

1 tsp. Nutmeg

10-15 pcs of Almonds & Pistachios

10-12 pcs of Raisins

8-10 pcs of Saffron Strings

Recipe:

• Soak 1 cup of Rice in water for 15-20mins. 
• Once the rice is soaked well, strain the water out of rice and add 1tsp. of ghee to grease it.
• In a pressure cooker add 1-1/2 cup of milk and heat it. 
• When the milk comes to a boil, add the greased rice into it and pressure cook it for 2 whistles at medium heat. 
• Meanwhile in another cooking pan, add 4 cups of milk and let it boil for 20 mins until it is reduced to 3 cups. 
• Stir the milk at short intervals so it does not stick to the bottom.
• Your rice must have been cooked by now. Let the pressure cooker get simmered completely.
• Open the pressure cooker and shift cooked rice in milk into the boiling milk.
• Stir well and let it boil for 2 mins.
• Let the pudding boil for 10-15mins or until the milk is blended well with rice and the consistency is changed to thick. 
• As you see that the Kheer or Rice pudding is almost done, add Cardamom Powder, Nutmeg Powder, Saffron to it. Mix Well.
• Garnish it with Almonds & Pistachios while serving it warm or Cold.

Note: 

1. Here you can add sugar or condensed milk. I used sugar as I was making it authentically for pooja.
2. You can add or decrease the amount of Sugar or Condensed milk as per your taste. The measurement given is according to my family taste and we don't like anything too sweet.
3. Make sure to keep stiring after adding sugar or condensed milk to it. 

Enjoy!