Rice and Sevai (Vermicelli) Kheer - Wonderful Milk Desserts

Kheer is loved globally and is a unique milk preparation. Made in various ways, the most popular among them are the Rice and Sevai (Vermicelli) Kheers, the recipes for which I have described below. You'll be surprised to know that some vegetables are also used to make kheer like pumpkin and white gourd (louki).

Usually made on special occasions, though you don't need one to prepare and/or enjoy this wonderful dish/es. When the milk thickens and the kheer is ready, adding the nuts and cardamom powder gives a heavenly aroma and flavor to the dish.

So lets get to the recipe, and oh, please note, that in the Ingredients section, all other items other than rice, vermicelli and ghee, are required in both kheers, in the same amounts.

1. Wash the rice once in a strainer so tat all the water drains out.

2. Crush the nuts (not finely) and leave some whole.

3. Soak your saffron strands in 2 tbsp of milk.

1. Heat the milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once it starts boiling, add the washed rice and raisins into it.

2. Let the rice cook in the milk on a medium flame. In the meanwhile the milk will keep thickening slowly . This process takes up around 25-30 minutes. Keep stirring as the rice should not stick to the bottom of your pan and likely burn. Slow the flame.

3. As the rice cooks and the kheer becomes thick - just to clear up, it doesn't have to solidify in any way, just should be of pouring consistency (as the kheer will get colder, it will thicken - so accordingly adjust your cooking to get the desired pouring consistency).

4. Now, add sugar and stir - while the sugar will make the consistency thinner, it will thicken up as it cooks further.

5. When it gets to a pouring consistency, switch off the flame.

6. Add the saffron milk and the green cardamom powder along with the nuts, and stir lightly.

7. Garnish with some whole nuts over the kheer.

8. The sweet Rice Kheer is ready.

Now, I know there are tons of Sevai (Vermicelli) Kheer fans out there and for all of you, I will be adding this in here as well.

1. In the same amount of milk (As for the Rice Kheer), start heating this milk along with the raisins in a pan. Keep stirring occasionally.

2. Take 2 handfuls of vermicelli (sevai) in another pan and stir fry it in ghee till they turn golden brown.

3. As the milk reduces to 3/4 to around 1/2 its original quantity, add sugar. Keep stirring for 5 minutes.

4. Now, add the ghee fried vermicelli to the milk. Stir occasionally for a minute or two and switch off the flame. The vermicelli takes only a minute or two to cook just right, so don't overcook it, and the strands will breaks and form lumps.

Note - as the kheer will get colder, it will thicken - so accordingly adjust your cooking to get the desired pouring consistency.

5. Add green cardamom powder, saffron milk and the crushed nuts to this and stir lightly.

6. Garnish with whole nuts.

7. The Sevai (Vermicelli) Kheer is ready.

Either recipe is actually easy to make and you'll have a fun time observing the kheer cooking out to its final version. Being a dessert, this is served usually after lunches and dinners, but often also during the meals. So, try them out and enjoy these awesome desserts.