Creamy Kheer with Dudhi – Simple and Delicious

A fast-fix simple and delicious dessert – creamy Kheer with Dudhi and rice, that is sure to bring on happy smiles all around.

Dudhi (both the ‘d’ sounds are soft: ‘Du’ as in ‘the’, rhymes with ‘do’; ‘dhi’ as in ‘thee’, with extra emphasis on the ‘h’ sound), a pale green-skinned squash, is also known as Lauki, Ghiya, bottle gourd, Opo squash, etc.. It has soft white flesh with a very mild flavor. Considered to be among the healthiest of vegetables, it is widely used all over India. It is low in calories, easy to digest and packs a wealth of micro-nutrients to boot. It is the key ingredient in a multitude of culinary delights, both savory and sweet, the recipes ranging from simple to complex. This recipe is most definitely one of the ‘simple’ ones!

I’m perfectly well aware that in general, the terms Kheer (Khee-r, does not rhyme with beer!) and “fast-fix” don’t always go together. That’s what sets this Kheer apart – there’s no slaving over a stove for hours. Very simple prep and about 20 min later (of mostly hands-off waiting time), this creamy and luscious Kheer is ready to serve!

Kheer- a beloved Indian dessert

Kheer, the much-loved beloved creamy dessert from India – so many varieties, each delightfully special in its own way! Made for wedding feasts, special events and festivals, Kheer is always a crowd-pleaser. Indeed, this post is my way of celebrating, from halfway across the globe, the birthdays of two very special family members, who happen to share a date of birth!

But here’s the best part about Kheer… it can be an everyday sort of treat as well! My Dad had a sweet tooth, and my Mom would make Kheer often – limited portions, but oh, so good! When there was Kheer, that day automatically became special!

‘Kheer’, of course, is only one of the many names for this family of desserts. Bengalis call it “Paa-y-esh” and folks from several southern Indian states call it “Paa-ya-sum”. Of course, folks from outside India, too, might be reminded of some other dessert they love, by yet another name. After all, desserts from many different culinary styles have some very interesting, almost predictable, commonalities!

In essence, Kheer is a delicious, creamy concoction with milk and sugar as its base. So what makes one Kheer different from another? It’s the ‘other’ variable ingredient – a grain, a vegetable, a fruit, or even just nuts. You simmer this ‘other’ ingredient with the milk and sugar for a while, then set it aside for a bit to let the flavors settle. After it cools, you add the special Kheer flavorings – most commonly, cardamom, saffron and/or nutmeg. To make it extra special, add some coarsely chopped nuts: cashews, almonds, walnuts,…The Kheer is now ready to serve, and to delight the lucky souls who get some!

Sounds simple enough – so why would anyone need to slave over the stove for hours? The slow simmering thickens the milk to a delightfully rich, creamy consistency. But here’s the thing… milk has a tendency to stick and burn at the bottom of the pan. So, one has to stir the simmering mixture, almost constantly, on low heat, to prevent this from happening. Doesn’t sound like fun at all, now, does it?

Modern-day Kheer-Making

Well, I do not especially like having to stir something constantly for more than 5 min – too much ‘baby-sitting” for me! So…. I have been experimenting with ways to modernize and simplify Kheer-making. I am also aware that the creaminess of a Kheer is often because it has oodles of fat! Given the current obesity trends across the globe, I also wanted to create a tasty Kheer that was creamy, but not quite so full of fat and sugar!

The recipe I have presented here accomplishes all of my goals. The pressure cooker dramatically decreases the cook-time, completely eliminates the “baby-sitting” time, and actually helps develop a creamy texture without an excessive amount of fat and sugar! Creamy and delicious, this simple to make Kheer with Dudhi will surely make you lick your fingers!

The prep work is actually pretty basic. First, you roast the rice Rava (Ruv-aa, cream of Rice) in just a little bit of Ghee (clarified butter) until it turns light golden brown. Rava literally means coarsely ground; the texture is similar to Sooji (cream of wheat, semolina, farina). If you happen to have Idli Rava on hand, that works just beautifully in this recipe! Otherwise, see Recipe Notes for details about how to make some at home. How long does it take to roast the Rava? Oh, only about a minute or so in the microwave. No kidding!

Next, peel and shred the Dudhi: for a small-medium sized Dudhi, it takes about 5-7 minutes, tops. After that, there’s not much work at all! Not too bad, huh?

Pressure-cook – for just a few minutes

So, what’s next? Mix the roasted Rava with the shredded Dudhi in the insert container of the pressure cooker. Add a little milk, sprinkle with sugar and place the container on a rack in the pressure-cooker. With the “pot-in-a pot” pressure-cooking method, there is absolutely NO possibility of burning anything. So, no “baby-sitting” needed! How lovely is that?!

The sugar makes the Dudhi releases its juices, which the roasted rice Rava quickly soaks up. As the mixture cooks under pressure, the Dudhi and the rice become soft and creamy. When you take it out of the cooker, it looks nothing at all like Kheer. Don’t worry… just add a little hot milk, set it aside for a few minutes, and gently loosen and fluff with a fork, and watch as it gets magically transformed! You can’t help but feel “Wow!”

Simply set it aside to cool for a bit longer before you add the flavorings and toppings of your choice. It is always best to add aromatic flavorings like cardamom, saffron, etc., to food that is not very hot. Otherwise, the aroma will simply escape out of the food into the surroundings! Sure, your kitchen will smell great, but the Kheer, not so much!

Serve – warm or chilled, however you please! I told you – making this creamy Dudhi Kheer with a pressure-cooker is so very simple – no slaving over a stove for hours!

Dietary Restrictions

This Kheer is vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free. If you wish, you can make it vegan with a few easy substitutions: check Recipe Notes for details.

For an extra special touch, see if you can find peeled muskmelon seeds (cantaloupe seeds, Kharbuj ke Beej (Hindi). Top your Kheer with these tiny beauties – they are packed with nutrients your body needs and are indescribably delicious!

Enjoy!

Creamy Kheer with Dudhi – Simple and Delicious

Peel and shred the Dudhi; lightly roast Rice Rava in ghee till golden; mix the Dudhi with rava – transfer to a pressure cooker insert-pot; add a little milk, sprinkle with sugar and pressure cook briefly. After pressure releases, add hot milk, wait a few minutes and gently stir/fluff with a fork. Cool the creamy mixture until lukewarm, then add cardamom, saffron and/or nutmeg, chopped nuts, etc. Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Resting time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Calories 128 kcal

Equipment

• Pressure cooker with inserst containers and rack preferred; if not available, you can use a steamer -see Recipe Notes for details
• Microwave oven: for roasting rice Rava very fast; if not available, this can be done on the stove-top, in a small, shallow frying pan- it will take a bit linger thn the microwave.
• Mortar and pestle- for crushing cardamom seeds; if not available, wrap seeds in a paper packet (like an envelope), then roll firmly with a heavy rolling pin.
• Fine shredder/grater: for grating /shredding nutmeg (if using)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup Dudhi- shredded medium shred; also called Ghiya, Lauki, bottle gourd, Opo squash, Calabash, etc.; do not use center spongy part; (chop and save for another use – see Recipe Notes for suggestions)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Rice Rava coarsely ground rice; Cream of Rice, Idli Rava, work very well. If not available, make some Rava in a grinder. see Recipe Notes for details.
• 1 tsp Ghee clarified butter
• 1 cup milk: divided 1/4 cup + 3/4 cup whole milk preferred; for vegan Kheer- see Recipe Notes
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh cream- optional if you want the Kheer to be more rich-tasting,

Flavorings and Toppings

• 3-4 pods small green cardamom – optional – highly recommended Peel and crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle just before using; if pods are not available, use peeled seeds instead- 1/8 tsp- crush; I do not recommend using pre-powdered cardamom – it typically does not have much flavor – freshly crushed is best.
• 1 pinch saffron – optional 6-8 fine threads should be enough
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg – freshly grated – optional freshly grated from whole nut preferred; pre-ground nutmeg is not as flavorful
• 3-4 pieces almonds – optional
• 1 tbsp cashew halves/pieces – optional
• 2 tsp walnuts – chopped – optional about 2 walnut halves
• 2 tsp melon seeds (cantaloupe seeds) – optional

Instructions

 

• Add ghee to the rice Rava in a glass/ceramic microwave safe bowl; microwave on hi for 30 seconds; stir and microwave again for 20 seconds; it should be golden brown in the middle; stir it quickly to distribute heat; if you wish, heat for another 10-15 seconds- no longer – it will get burned black !
  
• 
• 
• Peel and shred the Dudhi: long shreds look pretty in the Kheer; do not shred the spongy middle part.

  You can do this with a manual shredder or in the food processor. Save the spongy part to use in another recipe- see Recipe Notes for ideas.
  
• Transfer the shredded Dudhi to a pressure cooker insert container. Add the roasted Rava and mix gently.
  
• 
• Pour 1/4 cup milk (cold is OK) and sprinkle the sugar on top. Do not mix.

  Place the container on a rack in the pressure cooker and cook for 4 min at full pressure. Allow pressure to release normally.
  
• The cooked dudhi looks translucent and the rice Rava is mostly settled on the bottom
  
• While the Dudhi mixture cooks, prepare the desired flavorings as described below:

  Cardamom: Peel the pods, collect the seeds.and grind to a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle. Set aside a a pinch for garnish, and stir the rest into the cooled Kheer. (check Recipe Notes for details)

  Saffron:: Crumble the saffron threads between your thumb and index finger (make sure you fingers are dry!) and add to 1-2 tsp of warm milk in a small bowl. Set aside for a few min and add, along with the milk, to the cooled Kheer. (check Recipe Notes for details)

  Nutmeg: grate a little bit of the whole nut with fine shredder. Save the leftover nut in a dark glass jar, away from direct sunlight. Set aside a a pinch for garnish, and stir the rest into the cooled Kheer. (check Recipe Notes for details)
  
• While the Kheer cools, prepare the nut-toppings of your choice:

  Almonds: slice thinly, like shavings; you can leave the peel on or blanch and peel the almonds before slicing;. If you like,, dry-roast them lightly, then add to the cooled Kheer.

  Cashews: if cashews are small, split in half, lengthwise, to retain cashew shape;; if cashews are large,, break into smaller pieces. If you like, roast them lightly in a little butter or ghee (just a few drops of ghee is enough), then add to the cooled Kheer.

  Walnuts: coarsely chop the walnuts and add to the cooled Kheer.

  Melon seeds: lightly roast them in a few drops of Ghee and add to the cooled Kheer.
• When pressure is released, remove the container from the cooker.

  Heat 3/4 cup of milk in a microwave-safe cup – about 45 seconds, till almost boiling. Add the hot milk to the cooked Dudhi mixture. Do NOT stir. Set aside for about 5-6 min to cool.
  
• 
• Use a fork to loosen and gently mix everything together. It immediately starts to look creamy and Kheer-like. Taste-test if you wish to adjust the sweetness. If you want it to be a bit more rich-tasting, you can stir in up to 1 tbsp fresh cream.
  
• The picture shows the texture and structure of the shredded Dudhi in the prepared Kheer.
  
• Set aside to cool a little longer, then add the toppings you have prepared.

  The picture shown here only has cardamom and almonds. I would recommend adding only one or two kinds of nuts, but you can add them all if you like.
  
• Serve warm or at room temperature with any Indian meal. It is especially good with hot Puris: Kheer-Puri is a very popular combination.

  To serve chilled, it needs to be cooled in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. Overnight works very well too. It will thicken a bit more as it cools in the refrigerator.

  Or, serve it as a stand-alone, after-dinner dessert.
• Enjoy!

Notes

To make Rice Rava:

• Grind dry rice to a coarse powder in an electric grinder.
• Sieve through a medium mesh to collect larger pieces on top; grind these again.
• If you’re concerned about using rice without washing it first:
  • wash the rice in a strainer
  • spread on a towel and allow to air dry for 5-10 min
  • grind it to a coarse powder
  • roast with ghee till golden

What to do with soft spongy center part of Dudhi:

• Shred only the firm outer flesh of the Dudhi for the Kheer
• What to do with the soft spongy center? Don’t throw it away! Here are some ideas for using it
  • Remove any large tough seeds,that may be present.
  • chop finely and add to soup, Dal, Sambar, etc.
  • cut it chunky, pressure cook it and blend it. to make a thick puree Add this puree to soups, sauces, curries, etc.

To make Vegan Kheer:

• Use 1/2 tsp coconut oil for roasting rice Rava
• Use water, instead of milk, while pressure cooking: do not use dairy free milk.
• After pressure-cooking, add heated dairy-free milk (almond milk is excellent; can also use a 1:1 mixture of coconut milk and soy-milk) before fluffing and gently stirring the cooked mixture.
• If you can have nuts, also stir in about 2 tsp almond flour for added creaminess (or ground-up blanched almonds).
  • If you want it to be nut-free, you can use ground-up raw pumpkin seeds instead.

To steam-cook the Dudhi mixture on the stove-top:

• Place the Dudhi-Rava-milk-sugar mixture in a stainless steel plate/bowl on the perforated steamer rack in a steamer.
• Steam for 12-15 min. Keep covered for 5 min before removing from steamer.
• Proceed further as described in the recipe.

Prepping the Kheer flavorings:

• Cardamom:
  • Place the mortar on a folded towel on the counter.
  • Place the seeds in it and gently, but firmly crush the seeds with the pestle until coarsely powdered.
  • Note: The seeds are quite hard and tend to fly out of the mortar, so it is a good idea to cup one hand closely around the mortar to catch any flyiing seeds.
• Saffron:
  • Set aside the saffron- milk mixture for 5-10 min. to allow color and flavor to release into the milk,
  • the milk becomes fragrant and develops a rich golden yellow color. Add this to the cooled Kheer.
  • Transfer 1-2 tsp of the Kheer to the bowl in which you soaked the saffron, to collect up all traces of this precious spice add it back to the rest of the Kheer.
  • Note: If you don’t want the Kheer to be yellow, do not use saffron!
• Nutmeg:
  • Only grate as much as you need. Freshly grated nutmeg is very potent- you only need a tiny little bit, or it can become unpleasantly overpowering.
  • Save the leftover piece of nutmeg in a brown glass jar with a well fitting lid.
    • Store in a cool area, away from direct sunlight.

Storing Leftovers:

• Refrigerate and consume within 2 days.
• If you wish to freeze it, store in a shallow container with a well-fitting lid; should be good for up to 3-4 weeks, possibly longer.
  • To thaw, remove from the freezer and set aside on the counter for about 30 min, then heat to almost boiling on low heat, cool and serve. you can do this on the stove-top in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, or in the microwave, in a glass or ceramic bowl, on 30-40% power until heated through.
  • Add a bit of freshly ground cardamom – some of the flavor is inevitably lost during freezing and reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 28mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 99IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Bottle Gourd, Calabash, cardamom, crushed roasted Peanuts, Dudhi, Ghee, Ghiya, Kheer, Lauki, melon seeds, nutmeg, Nuts, Opo, Pumpkin seeds, saffron

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