Kheer....Indian rice milk with saffron, pistachios, cardamom and almonds....delicious!!

Before I was exposed to other cuisines, for me rice and milk (arroz con leche) was a delicate dessert that was creamy, with a hint of cinnamon, and with a pleasant aroma of lemon zest.

However, I have discovered that the memories of my childhood have been distorted by tasting new desserts with two old ingredients: rice and milk.

I have tried many versions of the typical Indian dessert kheer . Nevertheless, the one that has saffron, cardamoms, almond and pistachio is for me a gastronomical delight. Probably, it is because a combination of aromas, texture, color and savory combination that makes this version one of my favorites.

Here is the recipe:

4 cups of whole milk
1/3 cup of rice (I prefer basmati for this version, but you can use short grain)
1/3 cup of sugar (adjust for your taste)
3 cardamoms (crushed)
4 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of sliced pistachios
2 teaspoons of butter
8 saffron strands

Wash the rice until the water is clear. In a pot, melt the butter in low heat. Combine the rice, and stir fry for 3 minutes. Incorporate the milk, and cook (medium to low heat) until the rice is tender. At this point, the milk has been reduced at half. Add the sugar, cardamom, almonds, pistachios and saffron. Let it cook for few more minutes until is creamy. Let it cool, and decorate with pistachios on top. Enjoy!!