Brown Rice Kheer Recipe. Vegan Rice Pudding. Indian Kheer for Diwali festival. Brown Rice simmered in almond cashew milk with cardamom, roasted nuts and currants or raisins. Vegan Gluten-free Recipe. Jump to Recipe
Diwali is this weekend! And that means sweets, savories, chivda, lighting oil lamps, prayers for prosperity and happiness and meeting everyone to share wishes.
Kheer is one of the favorite desserts in the festive season. It is easy, delicious with a dash cardamom or saffron and simmered for a long time till the rice is soft and almost dissolving into the milk. One of my aunts makes amazing kheer with soft rice that has soaked up all the milk and flavor, which would be slow cooked, chilled and served. I know rice pudding can be a like or dislike dish depending on memories and flavors. But for me memories around kheer are about all the extended family getting together, celebrating festivals and enjoying thick and fresh Indian Rice Pudding.
More Indian Sweets to make this Diwali
- 15 minute Toasted Coconut Ladoo
- Besan Burfi (chickpea flour fudge bars),
- Kaju Katli (cashew fudge),
- Mango ladoo,
- dairy-free Gulab jamun (doughnut holes),
- Besan Halwa (chickpea flour spoon fudge) or Carrot Halwa
While you are here, read about and catch the screening of Blood Lions.
Blood Lions is a documentary about the realities of the multi-million dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa. Captive bred lions are killed in canned hunts and slaughtered for the lion bone trade. Last year alone over 800 captive lions were shot in South Africa, mostly by wealthy hunters under conditions that are anything but sporting. Ian has been following this story since 1999, and he goes onto the breeding farms to witness the impacts that decades of intensive breeding is having on the captive lions and other predators.
Recipe Card
Brown Rice Kheer Recipe. Vegan Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (95 g) brown basmati rice soaked for 15 mins, then drained
- 2.5 to 3 cups (625 ml) almond milk
- 3 to 4 tbsp raw cashews
- seeds of 2 pods of cardamom
- a good pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup (50 g) raw sugar
- 2 to 3 tbsp chopped raw nuts like cashews pistachios
- 2 to 3 tbsp currants or raisins
Instructions
- Combime brown rice with 1.5 cups water and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. If using white basmati rice, cook for 11 minutes or until al dente.
- Blend almond milk with the cashews until smooth. Add a splash of water to the simmering rice to bring the temperature down. Then add the blended milk to the rice. Add sugar, salt, cardamom seeds and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- In another skillet, toast the nuts in 1/2 tsp oil or on a dry skillet until golden. Add the currants and cook for a minute. Add the nuts and currants to the simmering kheer.
- Taste and adjust sweet if needed. Continue to simmer until the brown rice is tender to preference and thickened to preference. 10 to 20 mins
- Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with almond slivers or pistachio slivers.
Notes
Nutrition
Misha
I made this recipe for a Diwali celebration last year at the home of my friend who is from northern India. She loved it. It was delicious and creamy. The pistachios and currants were so good, but I’m sure the recipe would be just as delicious without them.
Vegan Richa Support
fun
Michele
Can I make this with brown rice that has already been cooked? Often I have leftover rice.
Vegan Richa Support
I don’t see why not – simply jump to Step #2 to make the sauce and add the rice in the last 5 minutes of 20.
Danielle
Had to make this with white risotto rice and ground cardamom but it was still absolutely delicious.
Angie
Has anyone tried the grain free version with carrots? If so could you share your experience of the flavor and texture? Interested in making it for my toddler to get more veggies in his diet. He won’t eat carrots if he can see and distinguish them as carrots so I thought the grain free version might be nice.
Richa
yes heres my carrot pudding https://www.veganricha.com/2017/04/carrot-pudding-with-cardamom-carrot-kheer-recipe.html
You can probably start with a mixture of rice and carrots, so that the color and flavor is not too pronounced and if he like it, keep increasing the carrots 🙂
Daniela
Hi, I can’t wait to try this, in the ingredients it says to use the seeds of 2 cardamon pods but then in the instructions it says to add the pod, so not sure which way to do it, also if you do need to add the seeds are they ok to eat? Much appreciated
Richa
Its the seeds. i’ll correct it. seeds are what you eat as powdered cardamom.
Punam Kalra
I followed the recipe exactly, but instead of the stovetop i tried in my Instant Pot (3qt). I put it on the porridge setting for 20 minutes, but then noticed it wasn’t done. I did it again for 20 minutes and it was fine. Next time I try it I will do it on a continuous 40 minute cycle, on the same setting.
Shalu
Hi Richa,
Can I avoid the cashews? Am on a candida diet and cashews are not allowed in it. Also, will it work if I use a sugar alternative like monk fruit sweetner or stevia? Thanks
Richa
yes, use some coconut cream to make it creamier, or other nut like macadamia if that works. other sweetners should work, just adjust based on preference.
HI
This was amazing! Everyone absolutely loved it and couldn’t tell the difference from the regular one. I personally thought it was richer and more satisfying than the regular one. About to make again. Thank you!
Richa
Thats awesome!
shravani
I feel very happy whenever i see something healthy made out of routine recipes..i had normal kheer, bottle gourd kheer..and this time i will surely make this brown rice kheer..feeling good 🙂 keeping sharing.
Vivian
I just made a some and it is delicious! My husband is going to love this. I’m wondering about the cardamom- I thought I had pods in the pantry but I didn’t so I used about 1/8 tsp of ground cardamom. Do you think that is the right amount as a substitute for the seeds? By the way, I’ve been visiting your site for quite a while and have been “eating” your recipes with my eyes and my imagination but this is the first recipe I’ve made and it definitely won’t be the last! Thanks for sharing such wonderful food.
Richa
I would start with 1//4 tsp and add more later.
Arthur in the Garden!
This is perfect! Although, mine never seems to be like what I get in the restaurants. I can never get mine to taste just like the restaurants…. but then I realized maybe their secret is because theirs sits around in the kitchen or on the buffet all day and “marinates”! 🙂
Richa
lol yes. it does marinate. The overnight chill will help. Also the restaurant versions probably have a lot of cream. They also might add other nuts and seeds like chiroli which are available only in Indian stores, or other spices such as a touch of nutmeg etc. depends on the recipe they are using.
Nancy
Is there a vegan sub for the almond milk? I’m allergic to almonds.
Richa
Use soy milk or coconut milk
Vivian Peterson
This looks absolutely wonderful. I am wondering if you could recommend a “healthier” alternative to sugar (like brown rice syrup or date syrup) and how it would be incorporated into the recipe.
Richa
yes, you can use date syrup or maple syrup to taste.