A thin, flowing milk rice pudding flavoured with saffron and cardamom — the festival dessert of Odisha that is lighter and more pourable than North Indian kheer.
Ingredients
1/4 cup short-grain rice
1 litre full-fat milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
A generous pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
2 tbsp cashews — fried in 1 tsp ghee until golden
2 tbsp raisins
Method
Wash the rice. No soaking needed for kheer.
Bring 1 litre milk to a boil in a heavy pot. Add washed rice. Stir.
Reduce to medium-low. Cook uncovered stirring every 5 minutes for 30 to 35 minutes until the rice is completely soft and has partially dissolved into the milk, thickening it to a flowing, pourable consistency.
Odia kheer is intentionally thinner and more pourable than North Indian kheer — it should flow freely from a ladle.
Add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Cook 5 more minutes.