Igas Festival Kheer

Name: Igas Festival Kheer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Garhwali
Ingredients: 100 g basmati or local hill rice; 1 litre Full fat milk; 80 g Sugar; 4 pods green cardamom; 10 pieces Almonds; 10 pieces Cashews; 2 tbsp Raisins; 1 pinch saffron strands; 1 tsp Ghee

A rich rice kheer prepared in Garhwali homes for Igas, the region's own eleven-day-later Diwali celebration, garnished generously with dried fruits and nuts.

🇮🇳India· Uttarakhand

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 220 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed pan

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 220 kcal
fat: 8 g
carbs: 32 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 6 g
calories: 220 kcal

Instructions

1
Wash the rice and soak it for 15 minutes. Drain the water thoroughly.
2
Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a heavy-bottomed pan. Gently fry the rice for 2 minutes.
3
Pour in the milk and bring it to a boil. Stir often to stop it sticking.
4
Turn the heat to low. Simmer for 25–30 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is soft and the milk thickens.
5
Add the sugar. Stir well until it completely dissolves.
6
Stir in the crushed cardamom and saffron, if using.
7
Stir in most of the almonds, cashews and raisins. Keep a few back to decorate later.
8
Simmer for another 5–8 minutes until the kheer (rice pudding) turns thick and creamy.
9
Take the pan off the heat. Let it rest for 10 minutes so it thickens further.
10
Scatter the saved nuts over the top. Serve warm as part of the Igas festival meal.

Chef's tips

Stir often so the milk does not stick and burn at the bottom. Take the pan off the heat while the pudding is still slightly runny, as it sets thicker as it cools.