Kheer: Indian Rice Pudding

At the Indian buffet there is a dessert that I love. It is called Kheer and consists of rice, milk, butter, nuts, raisins, and cardamom (it is spelled cardamon in the UK). This creamy dessert is light and delicious. I made it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and made it again this weekend a little differently.  The great thing is that the recipe is easy and doesn't take forever to make. 

Ingredients:

1\2 cup of Basmati rice
1 TBS ghee (clarified butter) or plain butter
4 cups of milk (whole milk, not low fat)
1 tsp cardamom
1\2 cup of sugar
a pinch of saffron
a pinch of nutmeg (optional)
1 TBS golden raisins, Sultana  
1\4 cup of cashews, crushed
1\4 cup of sliced almonds, slivered will work too
1\4 cup of pistachios, crushed

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.  Drain and then break the rice up in smaller pieces by rubbing between your fingers.  Place a medium sized pot on medium\high heat. Once the pot is warm add the ghee. When the ghee is melted add the sugar and stir for a couple of minutes, then add the milk. Bring to a boil. Stir frequently because you don't want the milk to scorch. Add the rice and simmer until the rice is cooked, usually 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently throughout the cooking process. Once the rice is tender add the raisins, nuts and spices. Turn the heat up a bit and simmer until it is somewhat thick. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve either hot or cold. Enjoy!