Kheer Archives

Hi everyone, I hope you all are doing well! Today's blog is about anything and everything kheer! A brief history, what it means to me, and why I’m writing this entire blog post about it! It might seem a little dramatic to some, but I genuinely love this dessert so much. If you’re unfamiliar with kheer, it’s a sweetened rice pudding infused with aromatic flavors such as cardamom or rose, and topped with different nuts or dried fruits.

I grew up on my Nani’s (my grandmother's) kheer. If I had to describe how it tastes, I would say it’s like home, and it feels very warm and comforting. Something she does that I think is so kind and genuine is offering to make kheer whenever my family and I visit her or when she visits us. In the past few years, I made it a goal to get the recipe from her. Since then, I’ve been able to make it with her a few times, but I don’t have the confidence to make it on my own just yet. There’s just so much care, effort, and precision she puts into making kheer that I’m not sure I can replicate. 

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For a brief history lesson on kheer, it's a rich rice pudding that’s been around for over 2,000 years! The word kheer comes from the Sanskrit word “kshira,” meaning “milk” or “milk-based food.” Its origins date back to ancient India, where it’s believed to have been created as an offering to Hindu deities. Historians believe that kheer is among some of the world's oldest dishes! The first recorded recipes for kheer appear in several Ayurvedic texts and in popular Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These texts are significant literary works that reflect ancient Indian life, religions, and culture. 

Kheer is often made during many celebrations and special occasions. It’s a symbol of joy and unity across India and in the diaspora. For centuries, kheer has held such cultural and spiritual significance across the subcontinent. Over time, it has evolved across many regions and cultures, each developing its own local recipes in terms of ingredients, flavors, and techniques. For example, some regions use coconut milk while others might use whole milk. Different types of rice are used depending on where you are, along with different toppings and flavors, such as cardamom or kewra. There are also many ways to prepare kheer. In some areas, the rice is ground to a fine powder, making for a very smooth and rich pudding. In others, the rice is only partially ground up, making it a more textured dessert. Lastly, it is also known by different names across the country, including Phirni (in North India), Payasam (in South India), and Payesh (In Bengali). India is a very culturally rich and diverse country, and that is easily highlighted by the various recipes and regional takes on this dessert. 

People.SMU: Pages in the Book of Delights from the 14th or 15th century that recount many recipes and foods made during this time period, with illustrations. On the right, there is an image of a cow being milked, which refers to many milk-based recipes in this book, including kheer.

Now, I want to talk about how this idea came about and why I’m writing this blog. I took a Global Asian Studies course last semester called “Cultural Politics of Asian American Food,” and it was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. At first, a friend and I had registered for the course, assuming it was just cooking or reading about foods from different Asian countries. But, to our surprise, it was both! We learned so much about indigenous foodways in Asia and in the diaspora. Also, how different food cultures evolved through various historical events, such as war or migration. We even got the chance to try out new recipes and engage in different food practices while cooking! On a more personal level, I learnt a lot about myself and my heritage. In many discussion posts and in-class conversations, I somehow managed to bring up kheer almost every time. And, throughout this course, we were always encouraged to think about what makes food culturally significant and what it means to us. This is what led me to make this blog! I’ve had this idea written down in my notes app for a while, and I’m finally bringing it to life! 

My lovely professor for this course gave me the opportunity to share this dessert and its recipe with my classmates. I was so excited! All the recipes we prepared in this course would go into a class cookbook, and now, my Nani’s kheer recipe would be a part of it! I wanted to make sure she was fully represented in her recipe, so I called her and asked a few questions to gain insight into her food practices and philosophies. As a result, I learnt so much about her childhood and what inspires her to cook and make art. It’s a bit sad to admit that I had never asked her about it before. 

Something really cool about my Nani regarding kheer is that she knows so many different ways to make it. She’s given me about 10 different recipe variations using different milks and rice, along with different ways to prepare them. Just give you guys an idea, some of her recipe variations include using condensed milk, half & half, or almond milk, and sooji (semolina) instead of rice. And with these different base ingredients, the preparation techniques are different too! I made sure to ask her on the phone call how these ideas even came about. Her answers were 1) she didn’t have access to the same ingredients she had in India and Pakistan when she came to North America, and 2) she was just curious about the different ways kheer could be made, so she just experimented with what she had. Isn’t that so cool?! 

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Aside from my Nani, my mom and my Chachi (my aunt) make really good kheer, too! I think these three women in my life could make any food, and I would gladly eat it. They all make kheer differently as well, with their own takes on ingredients and toppings. To me, kheer is their way of showing me love and kindness. They always let me know when they’re making it, while they’re making it, and/or when it’s made. If it’s my Nani and I’m visiting her across the country, one of the first things she says to me is, “I made kheer for you, try some!” If it’s my Chachi, she says, “Please take some home!” and she’s already taking out a box for me before I can even say my answer. And if it’s my mom, I know it’s going to be absolutely delicious, and that she made it in about half the time my grandma takes. But it’s all the same, because they all thought of me at some point when they were making it, and that, I think, is one of the most heartfelt things that they could do for me, and what makes their kheer taste that much better!

I hope everyone reading this gets to try kheer one day, if you haven’t already! And I hope you guys liked this blog. I’m sorry it was a bit long! Be sure to follow my Instagram page @/kahani.mag to stay updated on new blog posts. See you guys next week!!

- Juveriah