Kheer or Payasam is an Indian favorite dessert for special occasions. It is basically rice pudding made with rice and milk infused with saffron, cardamom and assorted dried fruits. This Kheer made in the instant pot is a game changer. The best thing about this, no stirring and it is ready in less than 40 mins!
Traditionally making kheer meant keeping milk and rice on the stove for 2 hours and stirring it frequently until the milk thickens and becomes creamy. With the Porridge setting in instant pot, the same thing happens, but you just dump all the ingredients and go your happy way to enjoy yourself!
As Diwali is approaching, I have been wanting to make some desserts that we can share with family and friends. Food, or rather desserts are integral part of Indian Diwali celebrations. You visit friends or have them over. But really, everywhere you go, you will find a table full of snacks and desserts laid out for you to enjoy. Oh, I love Diwali (how can a foodie not? 😉
This is going to be my dessert addition to Diwali potluck’s this year – Instant Pot Kheer.
Watch How to Make Rice Pudding / Kheer
How to make Kheer in Instant Pot?
This rice pudding is super easy with just adding all ingredients to the instant pot and setting it on porridge mode. The instant pot does it’s magic and perfect aromatic rice kheer is ready for you in 30 mins. If you have not tried kheer in instant pot yet, you just have to!
I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious Instant Pot Indian Dessert – Rice Pudding. Do share how it turned out!
Here are some other dessert made in the instant pot that you might enjoy:
- Sabudana Kheer – This gluten-free Sabudana pudding is made with tapioca pearls and milk in the instant pot.
- Seviyan Kheer – Also called Vermicelli Kheer or Semiyan Payasam, this delicious dessert can be made in the instant pot in less than 25 minutes.
- Carrot Pudding – Carrot Kheer is made with carrots, milk, cashews and dates, with the added aroma of cardamom & saffron. A delicious & satisfying desert, with no added sugar.
- Coconut Almond Laddoo – A quick sweet recipe that can be made in just 20 minutes for any occasion.
Rice Pudding / Kheer – Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 5 cups Milk, whole
- 1/2 cup White Rice , preferably small or medium grain, rinsed
- 1/2 cup Sugar , (adjust to taste), see notes
- 1/4 cup Roasted Mixed Nuts, chopped or sliced (cashews, almonds, walnut, pistachios) (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Raisins, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi), (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon Saffron (Kesar), (optional)
Instructions
- Sanitize the instant pot steel insert, lid and sealing ring thoroughly. If you have an extra sealing ring for sweet foods, use it.
- Add all the ingredients in the instant pot steel insert. Close lid with vent in sealing position. (Based on your preference, you can add sugar, nuts and raisins after pressure cooking too)
- Set instant pot to PORRIDGE mode for 20 minutes on high pressure. When instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
- Open Instant Pot and mix well. Rice pudding is ready. Serve warm or chilled.
- If needed, to get the desired consistency, cook on SAUTE mode for 2-3 mins. Or add more milk, mix and let it boil for a minute.
Video
Notes
- Try to boil 1/2 cup water in the instant pot on sauté mode, then add other ingredients. Make sure the water is already steaming before adding other ingredients.
- After opening the pot, take the instant pot steel insert out of the pot so the bottom layer does not overcook or stick to the pot.
- Add cinnamon powder and vanilla essence to get a different flavor.
- You can use brown sugar instead of white sugar, based on your preference.
Nutrition
Check out the collection of 10 Instant Pot Indian Desserts from the best blogs here.
Thanks! Recipe worked great.
Hey Mary Ann – Glad to hear the kheer turned out great. Thank you for sharing back your review.
Do we add hot milk or cold
Hey Dana – I add cold milk right out of the refrigerator. Hope you enjoy it!
I made it last week using the exact measurements and it came out fantastic. The color was a little off. So I am going to make with sugar being added after the 20 min is done. Since I am new to the whole IP world (have only had it for 10 days) I have a question regarding the NPR. When the the IP beeps after the 20 minutes are up, do I press the cancel button or just let it be? Not sure what L0:00 stands for or means. I noticed it kicks in after each recipe time is up.
Hey Ashima – Thank you for sharing back your how the kheer turned out. Adding sugar later works as well.
When you press any mode in the instant pot, the “keep warm” mode is turned on by default. This is the “L0:00” you see after the cooking time is over and instant pot beeps. It will start counting up to show how long the instant pot has been on Keep Warm mode. If you don’t want the instant pot to go in “Keep Warm” mode, press the function (eg. Pressure cook) twice, the light on the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button will turn off. Usually either way works, leaving on keep warm or pressing cancel. But eventually, do press cancel and/or unplug the instant pot. For some dishes such as rice, it is preferable to cancel so they don’t overcook. Hope that helps!
This recipe looks wonderful. Do you know if I can make this in a cuisinart electric pressure cooker (cpc-600). It didn’t have a porridge setting. Thank you!
Hey Nicole – Thank you. I have not tried in a cuisinart pressure cooker, so hard for me to say. The main thing with porridge setting is that it cooks at a lower temperature than pressure cooking. IF there is such a setting in the cuisinart, that might work. I would love to hear if you try it!
Will basmati rice work for this recipe?
Hey Susan – Yes, basmati rice will work for kheer. Hope you enjoy it!
Can this be made with soy or almond milk?
Hey Syema – I have not tried myself, but some readers reported back that they made this kheer with almond milk and enjoyed it. So do give it a try!
Have made it few times already & it turned out perfect every time. Can i double the recipe in 6 qt ?
Hey Dimpy – Glad to hear you enjoyed the kheer. I have not doubled the recipe, but another reader did and said it worked for them. So I would say give it a try, but be close to the instant pot, just in case it overflows. Please do share the result if you try doubling the kheer.
Do you think I can double the recipe if I have an 8 qt?
Thanks!
Hey Zahraa – Yes, I believe that will work. One of the readers did double and it worked fine. Hope you enjoy it!
What about pressure setting ?
High or medium
Going to make first time in instant pot
Thanks
Hey Kiran – I used the default high pressure setting on Porridge mode. I have clarified in the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
I’m curious how this would taste if you didn’t use saffron. If needed for flavor can you suggest something different? I haven’t ever used saffron because it so expensive!
Hey Pam – You can absolutely skip saffron and it will still be great. I have made it without saffron many times too. Hope you enjoy it!
I made the kheer last night for the first time ever and it was delicious. The color was a little brownish though. I used 1% milk instead of whole milk and a little less sugar than it asked for and it turned out great!
Thank you for such an easy recipe!
Hey Baljit – So happy to hear you enjoyed the kheer. It does get slightly brownish when cooked under pressure, but still has the same great taste. Thank you for sharing your review!