Instant Pot Rice Kheer (Paal Payasam)
Creamy Paal Payasam (Rice Kheer) made in the Instant Pot with no condensed milk — just rice, milk, and a few pantry staples. This easy rice kheer recipe comes out rich and indulgent every time, no stovetop stirring required. Perfect for festivals, celebrations, and anytime you're craving that wedding-style payasam.
Servings 10 people
Calories 297.32kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon cashews
- 1 tablespoon slivered pistachios
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- ¼ cup Basmati rice
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon saffron
- 1-2 tablespoon mixed chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and melt a tablespoon of ghee. Add the chopped cashews, almonds, pistachios, and raisins, and sauté for about a minute until golden and the raisins puff up. Priya's tip: Use a nut chopper to chop the nuts. It's a life-saver!
- Add the raw rice directly to the pot and sauté for 30 seconds to lightly toast it — this step brings out a nuttier flavor in the finished dish. No need to rinse the rice first.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Add ¼ cup water first — this keeps the milk from scorching at the bottom and helps you avoid the dreaded "burn" warning. Then add the whole milk and heavy cream, and stir everything together well. Priya's tip - Ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Deglaze the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil on Sauté mode, stirring so nothing sticks. Once boiling, hit Cancel, seal the lid, and set the valve to Sealing. Select Porridge mode and set the timer for 20 minutes. Priya's tip - If you don't have Porridge mode, select Manual/Pressure Cook mode on low instead, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally once cooking finishes — this gives the kheer time to keep absorbing the flavor. Open the lid and gently mash the cooked rice with a potato masher (just a few presses) to break it down and thicken the pudding naturally. This is optional. Then stir in the saffron and cardamom powder.
Notes
- No need to soak the rice first — this step is skippable and saves time. Don't skip toasting the rice in ghee — it's a small step that adds real depth of flavor.
- Stick to the ratio of ¼ cup raw rice per 4 cups of milk/liquid. More rice than that gives you a thick rice pudding rather than a pourable, creamy kheer.
- Instant Pots hold onto smells in their silicone sealing ring — if yours has recently cooked something savory, swap in a dedicated dessert ring if you have one, so no hint of garlic or onion sneaks into your kheer.
- Adjust sugar to taste, and add it after cooking if you'd rather control sweetness at the end. For a nut-free version, just skip the nuts and raisins entirely.
- Swap one of the 2 cups of milk for evaporated milk — using 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup evaporated milk gives the kheer an even creamier texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 297.32kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.47g | Protein: 4.04g | Fat: 23.42g | Saturated Fat: 13.92g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.32g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.46g | Cholesterol: 67.32mg | Sodium: 33.04mg | Potassium: 166.34mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 13.94g | Vitamin A: 782.63IU | Vitamin C: 0.44mg | Calcium: 98.64mg | Iron: 0.31mg