Chef Binit’s Travel Bites:
Indian Rice Kheer
A true explorer, our Chef de Cuisine Binit Pandey has traveled the world on his culinary journey. With stops in Germany, Qatar and beyond, he’s soaked up the views and the food at diverse locales around the globe. Join him on a gastronomic tour of the world (and his own life story) through easy recipes straight from his personal collection.
The first stop on Chef Pandey’s culinary tour is the place where it all began: India. This home recipe for rice kheer, a popular sweet rice pudding, is the perfect antidote for sweltering summer days.
There are many different variations of kheer across India and the diaspora, but it usually includes simple ingredients like milk, rice and sugar — the word is derived from ‘skheer’ (क्षीर), meaning milk in Sanskrit.
Though rice kheer can be made hot, Chef Pandey’s light and delicate version is meant to be served cold. A go-to whenever the temperature soars, this recipe was a staple during Chef’s time working in the Middle East. In his own words, “There isn’t a more delectable approach to beating the heat than a refreshing plate of chilled rice pudding.”
His tip is to garnish the rice kheer with rose petals, which provide both floral sweetness and slight tartness. With much of Canada in the midst of a heat wave, there’s no better time to make this chilly treat!
Stay tuned for another recipe from Chef’s tour of the world. Next stop: Germany!
Rice Kheer Recipe
yields 6–10 portions
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rice
- 2L milk (about 8–8.5 cups)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tin of condensed milk
- 1/4 cup sago
- 50ml rose syrup (dilute with 50ml water)
- 1 tbsp rose petals
Instructions:
Rice pudding
Soak rice in water for 20 minutes, then drain it. Cook rice in the milk for 1.5–2 hours in a thick-bottomed pot, along with the cinnamon stick for flavour. Once rice is cooked to desired texture, add the sugar and condensed milk and remove from stovetop. Let it cool in the fridge.
Rose pearls
Soak sago for 30 minutes and then boil in plenty of water. Strain sago and soak in rose syrup and water mixture for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour — the longer it soaks, the better it tastes!
Plating
Place cold rice pudding in a deep plate. Spoon sago pearls on top and garnish with rose petals.
