Top 33 Kheer Recipes: Rice, Sabudana, Payasam and Festive Puddings

Rice kheer is the version most people picture when they hear the word kheer: milk simmered slowly with rice until the starch it releases naturally thickens the pudding into something silky and clingy, then sweetened and finished with cardamom, saffron and nuts. Short-grain or broken rice gives the most classic texture, releasing starch steadily as it softens, while basmati produces a lighter, slightly looser pudding that some households prefer. The technique is straightforward but unforgiving of impatience — the rice needs a long, low simmer in milk rather than water, which takes considerably longer than cooking rice conventionally, and stirring regularly is what prevents it catching on the base of the pan. Soaking the rice for twenty to thirty minutes beforehand shortens the cooking time noticeably and gives a smoother final texture. Rice kheer variations abound, from a plain, unadorned bowl finished with just cardamom to versions folded through with mango pulp or topped with crushed malpua for a festive presentation, but the underlying method of reducing sweetened, rice-thickened milk stays constant across all of them. Standouts here include Chak Hao Kheer (Black Rice Pudding) and Creamy Mango Kheer (Mango Rice Pudding), plus Creamy Rice Kheer.

Sabudana and vermicelli kheer trade the long simmer of a rice-based pudding for something faster and lighter, without giving up any of the comfort. Sago pearls need a short soak in water until they turn translucent, after which they cook and thicken quickly once added to hot milk, making sabudana kheer a good choice when you want something ready in well under an hour. Vermicelli, seviyan and semiya kheer are quicker still — a brief roast in ghee before the milk goes in brings out a nutty flavour and firms the strands so they hold their shape rather than turning mushy, and then just ten to fifteen minutes of simmering finishes the dish. Makhana (fox nut) is sometimes paired with sabudana for extra body and a subtly different, slightly spongy bite. Both sago and vermicelli kheer are common fasting-day and festival foods across India precisely because they come together quickly without sacrificing the rich, milky character that makes kheer what it is, and they are a reliable weeknight option when a full rice kheer feels like too much of a project. Standouts here include Makhana Sabudana Kheer (Lotus Seed & Tapioca Pudding) and Sabudana Kheer (Creamy Sago Pudding) , plus Desi Ghee Me Bhuni Hui Seviyan Kheer.

Payasam and phirni are regional cousins of kheer, sharing the same core idea of a sweetened, slow-cooked milk pudding while diverging in ingredients and presentation. South Indian payasam often leans on coconut milk, jaggery or moong dal alongside or instead of plain dairy milk and sugar, giving it a deeper, more caramelised flavour than a straightforward rice kheer. Phirni takes a different route entirely: rice is ground to a coarse paste rather than cooked whole, which thickens the milk into something closer to a set pudding, traditionally poured into shallow earthenware bowls and chilled until firm, with saffron giving it its signature pale gold colour. Many of these recipes are tied to specific festivals and occasions — a particular kheer for a full moon celebration, a payasam for a temple offering — which is part of why the flavours and textures vary so much within what looks, at a glance, like the same category of dessert. Cooking these well means paying attention to the specific base, since ground rice, coconut milk and moong dal all behave differently in a pan than whole grains of rice do. Standouts here include Sharad Poornima Special Kheer and Temple Style Kheer / Payasam, plus Custard Apple Payasam - Sitaphal Kheer.

Carrot, beetroot and oats kheer take the same reduced-milk technique used for rice kheer and apply it to a base of grated vegetables or rolled oats instead, giving a lighter, faster pudding with its own natural sweetness and colour. Grated carrot cooked down in milk turns the whole pot a warm orange and needs less added sugar than a plain rice kheer, since the vegetable itself is naturally sweet once softened; beetroot behaves similarly but with an even more striking colour and an earthier flavour that pairs well with cardamom. Oats kheer swaps in rolled or quick oats for rice, cooking considerably faster and giving a slightly different, less clingy texture that some cooks find easier to digest. These versions are popular as a way to work a vegetable or whole grain into a dessert that still reads as a treat, and they are often the kheer recipe of choice for baby food, school lunchboxes or a lighter everyday sweet rather than only festival occasions. The technique still rewards patience — cook the vegetable or oats down properly in the milk before judging sweetness or thickness. Standouts here include Oats Kheer and Carrot Kheer, plus Suji Beetroot Kheer.

A few more dishes worth a place in your rotation — same techniques, different results. Standouts here include Motichoor Ladoo Ki Kheer (Pudding) and Kheer, plus Kheer.