Rice Pudding (Kheer)

I love this recipe! I had Kheer for the first time yesterday at an Indian restaurant. I liked it so much that I immediately came home and started looking for a recipe. I used this recipe and it was just as delicious as what I had at the restaurant. I made it almost exactly like the recipe except for just a couple of minor changes. For example, I only had cardamom seeds in my pantry, so I crushed these and added approximately 1/2 of a teaspoon in place of the cardamom pods. This worked out very well and gives it a delicious flavor. The rose water is a very nice and subtle addition, but I'm sure the Kheer would still be delicious if you don't have any on hand. I noticed that a previous reviewer thought that it needed more rice, but I think this is probably the correct amount. The one that I had at the restaurant didn't even have this much rice in it. It was almost soupy enough to drink, which I presume is the way it is supposed to be. Since I was somewhat rushed, I didn't take time to soak the rice, but just rinsed it a few times in cold water. That seemed to be sufficient and I don't think it made much of a difference. I cooked mine uncovered as I was afraid that it would boil over and I couldn't watch it the whole time. I just kept it on a low simmer and stirred it now and then. This is a very sweet dessert and you can safely reduce the sugar just a tad if you prefer. I used sliced almonds which had been toasted lightly. This is good warm, but is even better after

this recipe is alright, but its much better when you substitute half of the milk with coconut milk, and you can get by with only 3 T. of sugar, and half the amount of rose water, 1/2 tsp. of cardamom.

I've made this recipe twice in the last 3 days. Here's my strong suggestions: DO NOT soak the rice. The milk needs the starch from the rice in order to properly thicken. If there isn't enough starch, the pudding will be thin/runny. Use GROUND RICE! In your blender or food processor - grind about 3/4 cup rice as much as possible - there will remain some coarsely ground grains - this is perfect! Whole milk works best. However, if you're looking to reduce fat - I discovered that using a combination of 2 c. whole milk and 6 c. 2% milk is good. Just increase the rice a little bit to avoid a slightly thin pudding. Substitute a scant 1/2 tsp ground cardamom for the pods. However, I strongly suggest increasing the rose water a bit because the ground cardamom will drown out the rose water. CUT WAY BACK ON THE SUGAR! No more than 1 cup unless you want very sweet pudding. I preferred the taste using only 3/4 cup sugar. Quicker preparation: Bring milk to a boil; reduce heat, add ground rice and simmer 25 minutes (stir occasionally). Add cardamom & sugar; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat & add rose water. Almonds can be optional... top pudding with chopped pistachio nuts. When the pudding cools pour into a ceramic bowl, or individual ramekins; refrigerate until cold and set. 5 stars with alterations - otherwise a 3+/4-