DoodhPaak (Kheer)

Doodhpaak (Kheer) - traditional, aromatic Indian pudding made by simmering rice in milk & sweetened with sugar. Tastes ab-so-lute-ly divine. Simple ingredients, when combined in the right proportion give such wonderful tasting rice pudding that can be served on its as a dessert or can be served with puris.

Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It's not about nutrients and calories. It's about sharing. It's about honesty. It's about identity. - Louise Fresco

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Edited on 02/12/2021 to include more information and to make it reader-friendly. 🙂

what is doodhpak?

Indian sweets/desserts are to die for, especially if you grew up eating them 😀 . One of the most common and easy sweets that is made in every Indian home is the Doodhpaak or Rice Kheer. In Konkani, Kheer is called Doodhpaak/dudhpak and in Malayalam, this delicious sweet is called Paal Paayasam. Both words mean the same thing  -  Doodh" is Milk and so is "Paal". This should give you an idea about one of the main ingredients of the dish - and yes, you guessed it - it is milk.

Doodhpaak (Kheer) is a pudding made by simmering rice in milk and sweetened with sugar. Adding saffron to this rich, creamy and delicious sweet gives it a yellow hue which is pleasing to the eye. Garnish it with chopped nuts of your choice and you have your simple, but exquisite sweet treat.

ingredient rundown

We make doodhpak with staple ingredients found in the pantry and refrigerator.

• Milk
• Raw Rice (I used Basmati Rice)
• Sugar
• Cardamom Pods; husked, and seeds powdered
• generous pinch Saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon of warm milk
• Chopped Pistachios + a few strands of saffron for garnish

traditional method of making doodhpak

traditionally the preparation is a simple stovetop method where milk is first boiled, and then raw rice is added add cooked until the rice is well cooked, the milk has reduced. Then we sweeten with sugar and garnish with ground cardamom etc.

issues I had with traditional method

I have always struggled with making delicious Doodhpaak the traditional method.

I felt that it needed constant attention - the fear of milk spilling over or burning at the bottom - you are constantly checking on the kheer on stove top.

The following method that I learned from a Facebook food group solves this and makes creamy, rich doodhpak.

i found this method super helpful

I came upon this technique (to make Doodhpaak using pressure cooker) shared by Mrs. Nutan Kini, in a food group on Facebook. I have made this Kheer many a times at home and every time I followed this recipe, it has not failed me.

You could make this with whole milk instead of 2% milk as suggested in the recipe. Using whole milk will give it a creamier (than when using 2% milk) texture.

utensils/equipment needed

before I go into the step by step instructions, I need to give you a run down of the equipment we need. Nothing special, it made sense to me me to list it that way and you will see why.

This is a recipe for doodhpak using pressure cooker on stove top (not to be confused with the electric pressure cooker or the Instant Pot). I have not made this in Instant Pot - the directions and timings might vary.

• Pressure Cooker to be used on stove top
• Pressure Cooker lid fitted with rubber gasket
• Plate/Trivet that comes with the pressure cooker
• 2 - ­3 Stainless steel teaspoons
• Saucepan without handle
• Tight fitting lid for the sauce pan.
• Measuring cups
• Bowl to wash rice
• Small bowl to soak saffron
• Mortar & Pestle

step by step instructions

prep work

• wash rice 3-4 times. remove seeds from cardamom pods and using a mortar & pestle and grind the seeds to a fine powder.
• soak saffron in warm milk
• crush pistachios for garnish.

cooking

• Boil milk in the sauce pan on stove top.
• add rice to the milk. To the sauce pan, add the 2-3 stainless spoons. [THIS IS CRUCIAL. This is required to prevent the milk from boiling over and spilling in the next set of cooking process.].
• Prepare the pressure cooker for cooking - place the trivet inside the cooker. Add approximately 1.25 cups of water.
• Cover the sauce pan with a tight fitting lid [This prevents the steam from getting in the next set of cooking process.]and place inside the pressure cooker. Close the pressure cooker with its lid. Continue cooking on medium heat.
• Steam will build up and you will see a steady stream of steam released from the vent. [Note: We are NOT using the vent seal/whistle as it is called in India ].
• Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 45-50 minutes. If you have done everything as per the instruction, this will be unattended.
• Wait for 10 minutes and open the pressure cooker. Remove the sauce pan carefully. Fish out the stainless spoons.
• Place the sauce pan back on the stove over medium heat. Add sugar and mix well. Once it comes to a boil, add the cardamom powder and saffron soaked milk. Mix well to combine.
• Rest for a little while for the flavors to merge and doodhpak to cool down slightly.

Please note that you DO NOT place the weight/the vent seal while pressure cooking. Make sure the pressure cooker lid is fitted with the rubber gasket.

can i use readymade cardamom powder?

Kheer sounds incomplete without the addition of the cardamom flavor. Cardamom pods are husked & powdered and mixed with cooked Kheer to impart a beautiful aroma and flavor o Doodhpaak (Kheer).

Yes! Definitely, but keep in mind that freshly ground is always better.

a little nostalgia 🙂

I have a special memory associated with Doodhpaak. At my (maternal) ancestral temple, Doodhpaak is served as a sweet at the end of the feast during Navratri. We would have fasted for hours before partaking this temple feast. After the fasting, the temple feast tastes so delicious and the Doodhpaak served at the end would taste divine.

When making this Kheer for festivals or for Nivedyam, the tradition has it that it should not be tasted before offering it to the god. When my grandmother/aunts make it, although they eyeball the measurements, it has never failed them; and the Doodhpaak always tastes perfect. My aunt says, whatever you make with sincerity and devotion, that offering or Nivedyam always turns out perfect. True that! It has been quite a few years since I attended the Navratri pooja at the ancestral temple, but the memory of that Doodhpaak's taste is still fresh.

try this method

If you are struggling with perfecting the Kheer recipe, do give this method a try and I hope you get it perfect every time. Enjoy it hot, warm or chilled, garnished with nuts.

serving suggestions

• you can serve this is as a dessert - in cold fall/winter season, I serve this slightly warm and summer months, I chill this in the refrigerator and serve chilled. Both ways work.
• In north Indian, kheer is served with Puri/poori (deep fried poofy breads) and you can serve this as an accompaniment to puri also.

additional notes

• 1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish)
• 1 TEASPOON= 5 ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
• Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale, etc.
• serves 4-5 . Adjust the serving size to suit your dietary needs.
• Adding the stainless steel spoons into the sauce pan with milk is crucial to prevent milk from spilling over when pressure cooked.
• You can place the plate/trivet that comes with cooker at the bottom of the cooker to stabilize the vessel with the milk.
• Please note that you DO NOT place the weight while pressure cooking.
• Make sure the pressure cooker lid is fitted with the rubber gasket.
• If the Kheer is thick for you, add additional boiled milk to adjust the consistency.

DoodhPaak | Kheer

Doodhpaak (Kheer) - traditional, aromatic Indian pudding made by simmering rice in milk & sweetened with sugar. Tastes ab-so-lute-ly divine.

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Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 4 -5

Calories 40 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 liter 2% Milk
• ½ cup Raw Rice I used Basmati Rice
• ¾ - ­1 cup Sugar adjust to suit your taste
• 2 ­ - 3 Cardamom Pods; husked and seeds powdered
• 1 generous pinch Saffron; soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk

Garnish

• Chopped Pistachios

Required Equipment

• Pressure Cooker
• Pressure Cooker lid fitted with rubber gasket
• Plate/Trivet that comes with the pressure cooker
• 2 - ­3 Stainless steel teaspoons
• Saucepan without handle
• Tight fitting lid for the sauce pan.
• Measuring cups
• bowls to wash rice and soak saffron
• mortar & pestle

Instructions

 

• how to make doodhpak in pressure cooker on stovetop
  

prep work

• wash rice 3-4 times
• soak saffron in warm milk
• crush pistachios for garnish
• husk cardamom pods and grind to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle

cooking

• Boil milk in the sauce pan on stove top. Remove from heat
• add rice to the milk. To the sauce pan, add the 2-3 stainless spoons. [THIS IS CRUCIAL. This is required to prevent the milk from boiling over and spilling in the next set of cooking process.]
• Prepare the pressure cooker for cooking - place the trivet inside the cooker. Add approximately 1.25 cups of water.
• Cover the sauce pan with a tight fitting lid and place inside the pressure cooker. Close the pressure cooker with its lid. Place the pressure cooker on the stove on medium high heat. Continue cooking.
• Steam will build up and you will see a steady stream of stem released from the vent. [Note: We are using the vent seal/whistle as it is called in India here].
• Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 45-50 minutes. If you have done everything as per the instruction, this will be unattended.
• Wait for 10 minutes and open the pressure cooker. Remove the sauce pan carefully. Fish out the stainless spoons.
• Place the sauce pan back on the stove over medium heat. Add sugar and mix well. Once it comes to a boil, add the cardamom powder and saffron soaked milk. Mix well to combine.
• Rest for a little while for the flavors to merge and doodhpak to cool down slightly.
• Serve hot or cold, garnished with chopped pistachios.

Notes

1. Adding the stainless steel spoons into the sauce pan with milk is crucial to prevent milk from spilling over when pressure cooked.

2. You can place the plate/trivet that comes with cooker at the bottom of the cooker to stabilize the vessel with the milk.

3. Please note that you DO NOT place the weight while pressure cooking.

4. Make sure the pressure cooker lid is fitted with the rubber gasket.

5. If the Kheer is thick for you, add additional boiled milk to adjust the consistency.