Making Kheer For The First Time (And Wondering If I’d Got It Completely Wrong)
Date of experience: 30th December 2025 - New Experience Number 46.
I tried making kheer for the first time and it was incredibly easy – even if I was a little dubious about the result.
With the deadline for completing my annual goal of trying 52 new things before midnight on New Year’s Eve getting perilously close, I spotted a kit in the supermarket. It was for a dessert I’d never eaten before, never mind made before, so I decided to give it a go.
Would I be stirring up a delicious dessert or making a mess with my mixing? Here’s how I got on.
What Is Kheer?
Kheer is a traditional sweet Indian dessert. Made by heating together just a few ingredients, it is similar to a sugary rice pudding.
The ingredients can vary depending on where it’s made, but usually it consists of sugar, milk and rice. Flavourings such as cardamon, saffron, dried fruit or nuts are often added too.
How I Tried Making Kheer For The First Time
I know, I know – I should have tried making kheer from scratch, but I’d never made it before so making it with a kit still undoubtedly counts as a new thing.
During the strange lull between Christmas and New Year, I holed up in the kitchen one afternoon to try several new cooking-related experiences.
With the radio playing a mix of familiar festive favourites and feel-good tunes, pans simmering on the hob, warming aromas floating through the kitchen, and condensation collecting on the windows as the afternoon faded to a chilly winter evening, I was happily beavering away in my cosy little sanctuary.
Ingredients
The kit was basically a pre-prepared sachet of cane sugar, ground rice, almonds, pistachios, green cardamon and flavouring.
The only thing I additionally needed to buy was milk. I also picked up the optional suggestion of pistachios to use as a garnish.
Making Kheer For The First Time - The Method
There were just 3 steps to making the kheer.
- Put the kheer mix and milk into a pan and cook on a low heat whilst stirring continuously for 15-20 minutes.
- If it was looking too thick, add some water.
- Serve and garnish with dried fruits or nuts if desired.
It was all very straightforward, and I cracked on with step one.
Fifteen minutes later, and it didn’t look like much had changed. Yes, the sugar had dissolved, and there was a light steam rising from the surface, but I think I’d expected it to thicken up.
I continued stirring. I stirred some more. Thirty minutes later… I still stirred.
I was only using the picture on the front of the packet for guidance, and their kheer looked a lot less runny than mine. After cooking for twice as long as the method had suggested, I decided to dish it up.
I’m Not Sure It Looked Right
Pouring a good helping of the kheer into a dish, I sprinkled some chopped pistachios onto the top.
It looked very light and a little foam-like on top. Like a hot mousse. Or perhaps like a warm thick milkshake.
It definitely didn’t look the same as the one on the box, which seemed to have a much gloopier, thicker consistency.
However, if I had looked online for other images of kheer, it would have put my mind at rest as the appearance does seem to vary.
Tasting
Even though I doubted how the kheer I’d made looked, I had nothing to compare how it was supposed to taste, and dived in for my first spoonful.
It was incredibly warm and sweet, perfect on a cold winter afternoon. The cardamon gave it a deliciously different dimension, a sort of earthy, woodland type of flavour. If woodland can be a flavour! Along with the chopped pistachios, it created a slightly savoury balance and felt like a lovely hug in a bowl.
Despite my reservations about the consistency, the texture was actually really nice – even if it hadn’t turned out exactly as it was meant to. It was light and sort of frothy, and it didn’t have the same density to it as rice pudding sometimes can.
Will I Try Making Kheer Again?
Absolutely! And next time I’m making it completely from scratch. I love making curries at home, and this sweet dessert will be the perfect follow up.
It will be nice to experiment with the recipe, find my preferred methods and ingredients, and create my own favourite version.
New Experiences Can Come From Unexpected Places
I’m the sort of person who will always go to the supermarket with a list, and I try to stick to it.
But I’m also always on the lookout for something new to try, and it’s amazing what you can find just by looking on shelves you might ordinarily pass.
You can find all sorts of kits to experience flavours from different countries and transport yourself around the world, all from the comfort of your kitchen.
Trying something new doesn’t have to be ground breaking, unusual, or a leap out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s a new taste, a new recipe, or a new method, it all adds a sprinkle of novelty, and who knows where that can take you.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- If you want to try the same kit that I used, it’s the Indus Kheer Kit which I picked up from Morrisons.
- You can find the kit in other supermarkets and online.
- If you want to try making it from scratch, the recipes on Swasthi’s Recipes, Cook with Manali, and Dassana’s Veg Recipes all look good and get great reviews.
Cost Of Experience
- The kit I bought from Morrisons cost just £1.50.
- The additional ingredient of 1 litre of milk cost me £1.20
- The price will vary depending on where you buy your ingredients, and if you are making it from scrath.
Recommendations For Making Kheer For The First Time
- Keep stirring. You don’t want to make a mess of the bottom of the pan, so keep it moving.
- Get creative. You could add all sorts of different toppings to make your kheer unique to you.
- Enjoy a delicious dessert. Whether you make it from a kit or from scratch, let me know how you get on!