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.
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.
Hi Meeta,
You’ve been doing some great work within your food blog ! Keep it up 🙂 and keep posting more !
I couple of your recipes and they turned out well ! Although for milk recipes such as Kheer or Tapioca pudding – the milk always curdles after end of suggested ‘porridge’ mode instant pot cook settings. Have you experienced this – or know any workaround for this?
PS: I use normal cane sugar as suggested in recipe before setting up Porridge mode (no jaggery). Apparently in other instant pot blogs they said that IP doesn’t do well with dairy products under pressure (they curdle) – so maybe that’s what is happening here. Love to hear what others have experience and figured out a work around?
Hi Saga – I am sorry that the recipe did not worked well for you. I have always only used whole milk when making kheer. The porridge setting cooks the food at a lower temperature than high pressure cooking, so it has worked well for such recipes for me and many others who have tried this recipe.
The reason when I have seen milk curdle is when there are any impurities. Try to clean the rice well. Maybe add sugar and nuts after pressure cooking to avoid any possible issue due to them. Also clean the instant pot and the lid along with all the parts really well. Even the condensation from the lid dropping back into the milk can cause it to curdle.
I know it is disheartening to waste food every time a recipe does not work. So if you try again, do try with just half the quantity to make sure that it works out. Thank you so much for continuing to support and being so kind!
I almost destroyed my whole kitchen while making this kheer in the instant pot. Your recipe says put the whistle on VENTING mode, and when I did that the whole kheer blasted out in my kitchen through the whistle.
It should’ve been advised to put on SEAL mode!
Hope you make this correction in your recipe soon!
Hi Mehreen – So sorry this happened. The recipe clearly says “Close lid with vent in sealing position.”. I highly recommend to keep the vent on sealing position when pressure cooking with liquids. Same applies to lentils and curries too.
This looks wonderful — any advice on if we don’t have medium or short grain white rice. Thoughts on using just long grain or would it not come out well ? thanks. looking forward to trying this!
Hi Doreen – It would be fine even if you use long grain rice. I have made this with basmati rice and it has worked well. Hope you enjoy the kheer.
Hi my instant pot is an 8 litre would I need to change cooking time ? to longer due to larger capacity thanks.
Hi Gillian – I don’t think additional cooking time will be needed in an 8qt. I would say as it has more chance of burning with milk, you can heat up 1/2 cup water in the instant pot before adding the rest of the ingredients. Hope you enjoy the kheer!
This came out so good! It was truly the easiest, fastest recipe that actually worked well that I have made in a while. I had some milk about to expire, was super tired and not in the mood to spend hours over the stove and thought I’d give it a shot and I can’t believe how well it worked. The only problem, and it was my error, was that I didn’t have any roasted unsalted nuts so I used some raw slivered almonds instead and the texture of those didn’t work out too well. I would have been better off leaving them out. But that’s ok, the pudding is still good. Thank you!
Hi Rena РGlad to hear you enjoyed the kheer. For next time, you can saut̩ the raw almonds in 1 tablespoon ghee in the instant pot. Turn off, then continue to add the other ingredients in the recipe.
HI Rene,
For me the milk curdled! Porridge mode for 20 mins.. high pressure with NPR after. Not sure what am I doing wrong !! Any help appreciated!
Can you make this using a non dairy milk (almond milk or oat milk) or is whole milk required?
I have not tried, but other readers have used almond milk and enjoyed the kheer.
What if my instant pot doesn’t have a porridge setting? what can i use??
Hi Jazz – It is hard for me to confirm what setting will work. I am guessing a soup setting or a low pressure setting could work well.
I would like to make serving for 2 only. Possible? Will dividing all the ingredients by 3 work?
Hi Hira – yes, you can adjust the quantity as needed. The cooking time will still remain the same. The instant pot will just come to pressure and release pressure sooner with less quantity.
Do you have any setting or recommendations if I am using ninja foodie
Hi Ritesh – I have not tried, so not sure what setting will work in the ninja foodie for this kheer.
Hi Meeta… I tried this for my family, it came out very yummy… I want to make this in a large quantity for a potluck. Maximum how many cups of milk can I use in a single batch in a 6qt IP. And can I saute the basmati rice along with nuts before pouring milk..?
Hi Aishwarya – I would not recommend a very large quantity of this kheer for pressure cooking. The reason is that milk can foam, and can come out in this case. You can consider slow cooking with the instant pot. I would also suggest to use a glass lid when slow cooking.