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Bihari Chicken Tikka

July 26, 2024

Say hello to Bihari Chicken Tikka, daughter of the OG chicken tikka and Bihari kababs. Marinated in a delicious homemade spicy yogurt mix, this melt-in-your-mouth type Tikka variation is going to be your next go-to dinner recipe. Bonus, I share how to make these on the pan, charcoal grill, in the oven, and an air fryer.

Bihari kababs and Chicken tikkas are both super popular Indo-Pakistani barbecue delicacies. Bihari kababs come from the land of Bihar, made traditionally with beef. Their key traits are subtle spice levels and silky smooth melt-in-mouth protein texture. So naturally, I just hadddd to create a fusion recipe, yaáll know how much I love that. Taking the characteristics of the Bihari kababs, I made a spice blend, fit for a gorgeous chicken tikka!

This tikka is such a great example of South Asian recipes where even low spice levels bring about super flavorful dishes, just like the great Balochistani Chicken Sajji. Ok, I am tooooo excited! Let’s begin!

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Ingredients and Substitutions

This recipe needs very few ingredients but you might be unfamiliar with them. Let’s talk about it.

labelled ingredients laid out for recipe.

Skinless Chicken – For a proper tikka cut you either need breast pieces with wings attached or whole chicken legs. You also have to deeply score the chicken along the lengths to allow the marinate to seep in.
Neutral Oil – Any vegetable oil, ghee or butter will do.
Spices – Salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper, and garam masala powder.
Fried Onions – Crispy brown fried onions are easily available in any Indian Pakistani grocery store, if you don’t want to fry it yourself. I usually fry some at home, takes around 5 minutes. You can use my crispy fried onions tutorial if you have questions.
Yogurt
Ginger garlic paste
Meat Tenderizer – see “Tenderzing the chicken” section below
Optional – Coal for smoke and roasted poppy seeds. Both are flavor and aroma enhancers and are easily skippable if you don’t have them on hand.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Tenderizing the Chicken

The chicken texture for this tikka is super soft and more like kababs. To achieve this texture you need to add a meat tenderizer to the chicken.

Raw papaya paste – This is the best, tasteless option out there. You simply buy a jar of green papaya paste or whip up some at home. This will give you the exact texture we are going for.
Meat tenderizers. 1/2 teaspoon of a meat tenderizer will also get the job done.
Yogurt and Vinegar – This is a weak tenderizer. You need overnight marination for this combination to work on the chicken muscle fibers.

IMPORTANT TIP: Once you’ve added the papaya paste or meat tenderizer to your chicken, DO NOT marinate for more than 2 hours. If you prefer longer marination times, go for yogurt and vinegar instead.

Instructions

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

raw chicken leg and thigh pieces deeply scored along the lengths in a bowl.

STEP 1 Wash and pat the chicken dry. Deeply Score the chicken pieces along their length.

unmixed raw marinade ingredients in a blender cup.

STEP 2 Combine all ingredients for the tikka marinade in a blender.

smooth marinade paste ready in a blender cup.

STEP 3 Make a smooth paste.

STEP 4 Marinate the chicken for 1 hour making sure all the cuts are deeply penetrated

marinated chicken tikkas on a lined baking tray.

STEP 5 Layout the chicken onto a lined baking tray.

roasted bihari chicken tikkas on a tray being glazed by a brush.

STEP 6 Bake for 20 to 25 mins at 180C or 375F, flipping halfway through. Glaze with any leftover marinade when flipping.

PROPTIP: Turn on the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes towards the end to get that nice grilled/charred crispy bits.

Expert Tips

Here’s a recap of all the things that’ll make you ace this recipe:

Score the chicken pieces deeply to allow the marination to penetrate through.
Don’t throw away any leftover marinade. Glaze it on the chicken when you flip it over.
If you are baking the tikka, turn on the broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes to give it that charred crispy top.
If you are marinating the chicken in advance for a barbecue party, skip the meat tenderizer and only add it 30 to 40 minutes before grilling or baking.
Go for bigger chicken cuts for this recipe to give it the proper chicken tikka feel.
Glazer the chicken with oil after once ready, to prevent it from drying out.

Pairing and serving suggestions

Honestly, it works perfectly as a stand-alone dish. Serve it with sliced onions and lemon on top with mint green chutney on the side. Damnnnnn, I am salivating. But on days, you feel like having “meals” type meals, here are some classic suggestions

Pair with a homemade paratha, roti, or naan.
If you are leaning towards flatbreads, a side of aloo ki tarkari (potato curry) or cholay ka salan (chickpea curry) would go perfectly with it.
To keep it low-carb, pair it with a hearty nice salad like my evergreen kachumbar salad.
A simple pea pulao/ matar pulao and yogurt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Yes, double the quantity of lemon juice and add vinegar.

Can I up the spice level?

So like I said, this recipe has a mild to moderate heat level, you can increase the heat by adding more red chili powder or black pepper powder

Can I make this with smaller chicken pieces or boneless chicken?

Yes! Just reduce the salt level for boneless chicken.

Can I make freeze the chicken?

Oh yes! This recipe is very freezer-friendly. If you wish to freeze marinated chicken, skip your meat tenderizer/papaya pastes from the marinade. When you want to cook, let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight. You can also freeze cooked Bihari Tikka in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.

Similar Recipes for you

If you liked my Bihari tikka, you will love these Pakistani Chicken recipes.

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

Simple Kachumber Salad Recipe

September 20, 2023

Probably the easiest and quickest salad I’ve fallen in love with is this easy Kachumber salad. It’s a classic, easy, crunchy, vegetable salad, that is VERY VERY hard to mess up. Imma gonna throw in some variations and pairings for you, just to show you how versatile this is.

To be honest, this is literally the ONLY salad in Pakistani and North Indian cuisine, that has a proper name and a dressing. Otherwise, growing up, for most of us, salad pretty much meant, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a plate.

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What is Kachumber Salad?

The word Kachumber, (pronounced as Ka-choo-mer), means “pounded” or grounded. As the name suggests, common vegetables like onions, tomato, and cucumber are chopped up and tossed together to create this salad. This is literally the only salad that has an actual name in the Pakistani and North Indian cuisine. Otherwise, salads per se don’t really exist, and the vegetables are usually just eaten in “bhujia” or dry curry form, like the lauki ki bhujia “bottle gourd curry”.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Every family has their own favorite veggies and their own preferred dressing for this salad. I’m going to put up the one most commonly eaten in restaurants and at home.

Cucumbers – This is the essential of a kachumber salad, which is sometimes also called the “cucumber salad”. You can peel the cucumber or leave it on for crunch. I personally prefer leaving it on, and only peel if my cucumbers are extra bitter.
Onions – I use red onions because I like how they taste. You can use shallots or yellow onions too.
Tomato – You need firm, juicy, ripe tomatoes for this recipe to make sure that they don’t squish when being chopped finely. Use any tomato you have at hand, as long as they are juicy and red.
Seasoning – This recipe uses a very basic, lemon, salt, and pepper seasoning. But I am going to give you some fun add-ons at the end if you feel like spicing things up!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Variations and Add-ons

This is the fun part, where you take an average Joe (not the serial killer kind) (shoutout YOU fans) and make it your own.

Make it Spicy
Pack your salad with heat by adding just a dash of cayenne pepper powder or sliced up Thai chilies.
Add more vegetables
Add any favorite or seasonal vegetable to this salad. My personal favorite add-ons are carrots, radishes, and sometimes bell peppers.
Flavor enhancers
For a fancier salad dressing, try adding chaat masala, which is a very popular spice mix to add to this salad. Or try roasted cumin seed powder or a pinch of garam masala powder. They all add warmth and subtle heat to the dish. I love adding dahi bara masala to my kachumber sometimes. You can also try adding a small clove of finely chopped garlic.
For Crunch
Although the vegetables add the perfect crunch to this recipe, try topping it off with crispy pappar, crushed chips or peanuts.
Fruit and Carbs
Kachumber Salad with Mango and/or pomegranate are apparently popular add on in a lot of restaurants during summers. I haven’t been daring enough to try it, but maybe you can. Chickpeas is another favorite to add to your kachumber. My recommendation would be to add chickpeas and chaat masala together for a perfect hearty snack.
Kachumber Salad with Yogurt
For recipes like tahiri or biryani, it is common practice to make a kachumbar raita, where this salad is mixed with beaten yogurt to make a sort of loaded raita.

Ofcourse, the best kachumbar salad version for you, is the one that your palate eventually falls in love with.

How to make Kachumber Salad

The only real skill you need for this salad is, your chopping. And honestly you can bypass that too, if you have a hand chopper, like this Easy Pull Food Chopper and Manual Food Processor. There is no right or wrong way to chop this salad, go with whatever size and shape you prefer.

vegetables chopped up and kept seperately.

STEP 1 – Chop up all the vegetables by a knife or a chopper

STEP 2 – Toss all the vegetables in a bowl

STEP 3 – Prepare the seasoning seperately

STEP 4 – Pour the seasoning all over the salad and mix.

Top tip

Only add the dressing to the vegetables when you are ready to eat. The salt releases water from the vegetables and you’ll get a lot of liquid floating at the base of your salad if you let the dressing sit in the salad for hours.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use any other vegetables?

Yes! Make the salad as fancy or as minimal as you like. Most crunchy vegetables will work nicely, like carrots, radishes. Look into the variations section above to get more ideas.

How long can the Kachumber salad last?

If you don’t add the dressing, the chopped vegetables will stay fresh in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. After that, the onions become pungent.

How do I make this salad into a meal?

Add grilled fish, chicken or steaks and turn this salad into a beautiful easy dinner.

What to Serve with Kachumber Salad

kachumber salad paired with chicken curry, rice, salad and crisps.

Oh, everything! It literally goes well with everything I kid you not. But fine, I’ll give you some sweet pairing option

Fried fish, daal chawal (lentil rice)
A good roast chicken and palak raita! Yummm
On the side of a pulao and a kebab like the chicken cheddar kebab
Served with freshly grilled chicken tikka
Of course, who can forget, A classic chicken biryani
Honestly, I enjoy it as a dip for my tortilla chips, when I am watching my calories

More Salad Recipes

I love pairing these salads with my mains. See for yourself

Kachumber Salad

This is a traditional Pakistani/North Indian salad made with onions, tomato and cucumber with a simple dressing and a whole lot of variation options

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Indian, pakistani, South Asian

Prep Time: 7

Total Time: 7

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Wajiha

Equipment

1 manual chopper optional

Ingredients

▢ 1 medium red onion or any onion you prefer
▢ 1 small tomato
▢ 2 medium cucumbers
▢ 2 to 3 fresh salad leaves of your choice optional

Salad Dressing

▢ 1/4 teaspoon table salt or to taste
▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Finely dice all the vegetables and salad leaves into around 1/4th cubes
Toss the chopped vegetables into a bowl and mix well.
Prepare the salad dressing by combining the salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
Pour the salad dressing over the vegetables and mix. Serve immediately.
To serve later, keep the salad dressing seperate, and only pour when ready to serve.

Notes

The cucumbers can be used peeled or unpeeled, based on your preference. But I’d recommend to peel the cucumbers if they are bitter.
Your chopping can be done with a knife or a simple hand chopper
Do not add the dressing to your salad if you aren’t ready to eat. Keep the dressing separately, if you are preparing the salad hours before having it.

Variations and ad-ons

Spices – Just a dash of cayenne pepper powder or sliced-up thai chilies to pack heat.
Other vegetables and fruits – Any seasonal or favorite produce. Popular options include carrots, radishes, bell peppers, mango and pomegranates.
Flavor enhancers – Chaat masala, garam masala powder, or roasted cumin seed powder. Minced chopped garlic
For Crunch – pappar, crushed chips, or peanuts.
Yogurt

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 10mgPotassium: 377mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 241IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg

Can’t wait to see your remakes! Tag meon IG with your pictures @butteroverbae

Chicken Shashlik Dry

August 16, 2023

Chicken Shashlik is a delicious Indo-Chinese dish, made with chicken, bellpeppers, onions, tomatoes, marinated in a beautiful spicy tangy tomato sauce. This recipe is the dry skewer version of the shashlik, while the other versions of chicken shashlik are gravy like. This is an easy weeknight dinner idea, comes together quickly, and any beginner can make it without a glitch!

chicken shashlik skewers served on a grillpan.

If you’ve been following me for a while, than you know, I am a sucker for recreating restaurant style recipes at home, and Indo-Chinese is my favoriteeee genre! This recipe joins the list of my other classic restaurant remakes like the Dynamite Shrimps, Crispy Beijing Beef and Sichuan Chicken.

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What is Chicken Shashlik

The word ‘Shashlik’ means skewered grilled meat, synonymous with “Shish” kebab in Turkey. It was traditionally made with Mutton and the internet says it originated from Central Asia and Russia. The Chicken Shashlik, while delicious, is somehow not as well known as other more popular Desi Chinese dishes like the Hot and Sour soup, or the Chicken manchurian.

Like most fusion recipes, the Shashlik too, was made by restaurants either owned by Chinese immigrants in the lands of India/Pakistan or by locals serving the immigrants.

The modern day shashlik can now be made in skewers or sticks (like this recipe), or simply like usual Chinese stirfry or gravy. Both are delicious btw

What to pair it with

This version of the recipe is great as a stand alone dish! Simply served with some spicy sichuan sauce on the side.
You can also pair it with fried rice or simple pulav rice like matar pulao
You can also serve it on a bed of garlic fried noodles
On my low-carb phase, I like pairing it with a simple green salad
Prawn crackers are a great side for these shashlik sticks.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients used to make this delicious dinner are super basic and easily swappable with substitutes in your pantry.

chicken shashlik ingredients displayed and labelled.

Chicken – I used breast piece cut up 1 inch chunks. You can use thigh pieces too for a more tender and juicy chicken cut.
Vegetables – Onions and Bellpeppers (aka capsicums) are the “crunch” of the skewer. You can swap it out for any other crunchy vegetable you’d like to thread in. The tomatoes are added for flavor that they give once they are charred on the grill pan, so I wouldn’t recommend swapping them out with anything.
Spices – You need salt, white pepper powder, cumin powder and Kashmiri Red chili powder. This kind of red chili powder is mild but has a beautiful red color. If you’d like to cook more Indian/Pakistani food, I’d suggest you get a pack from your Asian grocery store. Or you can simply use paprika if you don’t have this in your pantry.
Sauces – The marinade uses your typical Chinese sauces like the Soy Sauce, Red Vinegar, and tomato paste. But worry not, use regular vinegar if you don’t have the red one. And use tomato ketchup if you are out of paste! Told ya this was an easy recipe.
Other – Then you need garlic paste for marination and vegetable oil for grilling. Use any neutral oil that you cook with at home.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Instructions

This chicken shashlik just needs a couple of easy steps to come together. Chop, marinate, thread and grill!

boneless chicken cubes marinated in a bowl.

STEP 1 – Marinate Chicken in all the spices and sauces listed.

onions, bellpeppers and tomatoes cut up in squares.

STEP 2 – Chop up the vegetables in 1 inch squares.

chicken and vegetables marinated in a bowl.

STEP 3 – Add the chopped vegetables to the chicken and marinate for 30 mins.

chicken shashlik marinated and threaded onto sticks.

STEP 4 – Thread the chicken and the vegetables onto a wooden or metal skewer. (Don’t throw away the leftover marinade)

grilling chicken skewers on a grill pan.

STEP 5 – Place the skewers onto a greased grill pan on the stove at medium heat.

glazing the chicken shashlik with sauce.

STEP 6 – Flip the skewers over using a tong after 5 mins. And glaze with the remaining marinade left in the bowl.

Serve hot with your favorite pairing combo. I like to serve the sizzling grill pan directly onto the table with a mat underneath.

TOP TIPS AND ADVICE

IF you are using wooden skewers like me, than soak them in water for 30 minutes before using. This makes them more pliable and they don’t burn easily while on the grillpan.
Because of the tomato sauce, there will be some spluttering in the pan. IF you are new to cooking and grilling, either cover the pan with a lid while they on the stove or wear oven mittens to avoid any splatter on your hands.
Since its been a while since I’ve been cooking, I usually just flip the skewers using my hands. But you should use tongs to flip the skewers. If you are afraid of any splatter, then remove the pan from the heat temporarily. Flip all the skewers and glaze them. Then put it back on the heat.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make the skewers in advance?

Yes! If you want to make it for dinner today or tomorrow. Simply marinate and thread the shashlik. Now cover with a cling wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Simply leave out on the counter for 30 mins when you are ready to grill it. You can leave the marinated skewers in the fridge for upto 2 days.

Can I freeze the chicken?

So the vegetables tend to get soggy in the freezer, especially the tomatoes. You can freeze the marinated chicken if you like. /

How long does the shashlik last in the fridge?

Your marinated shashlik can stay up to 2 days in the fridge. And your grilled shashlik will last up to 5 days easily.

Can I change the vegetables in the skewers?

The onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers are the OG vegetables used for a shashlik, dry or saucy. They are the core 3. But of course, go with your palate, you can go ahead and add more if you like. Or swap the onions for another crunchy vegetable

Is Chicken Shashlik Spicy?

Yes, if you find general Indian/Pakistani food spicy, this will be spicy for you too. Although for regular spicy food eaters, the spicy level is almost minimal in this recipe. Reduce the quantity of red chili in the recipe to enjoy the flavors with less heat.

Can I make this recipe in beef/lamb or mutton?

Yes! Although. For any of these meats, you will have to boil your meat for about 20 to 30 mins or just until tender with salt and garlic paste. Then, you can proceed with the recipe as is.

Can I make this shashlik recipe with fish?

Ofcourse! Just swap out chicken for fish. I’d recommend going with any white fish of your like and avoid salmon for this recipe.

More Indo-Chinese recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Rice Kheer – Rice Pudding

May 26, 2023

This delicious one-pot Rice Kheer recipe comes straight from my Pakistani kitchen to yours. I’ve adapted the classic recipe that takes hours to make, to give you this foolproof recipe ready within the hour. A classic kheer (rice pudding) is made with simple ingredients like rice, sugar, and milk. The smooth texture and simple flavors of kheer make this a crowd-pleaser and a kid’s favorite!

Rice Kheer dessert served in multiple small bowls

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What is Kheer?

Kheer is essentially a South Asian milk-based pudding. Rice kheer also known as chawal ki kheer (in Urdu) is made with rice. But other variations of kheer exist, like the lesser-known tapioca kheer.

Because of the simplicity of the recipe, it is popular for both, regular weekend dessert nights and for elaborate festivities like Eid, Diwali, and dinner parties. Kheer Puri is also a popular Sunday brunch option, where cold kheer is served with crispy fried puris. My mom also loves adding khara masala keema to this Sunday brunch.

If you follow me on Insta, then you know your girl loves a good silky smooth dessert in summer. And a cold nice kheer, malai kulfi, and rose honey milk cake are my top 3 go-to heat-killers!

Ingredients

The traditional stove-top Rice kheer uses only sugar, rice and milk and is simmered at low flame for hours to allow the milk to cook down and give it depth and flavor. I use sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to achieve the same depth of flavor but in less time.

Rice – I use regular basmati rice for kheer. Long grain and other variations don’t matter for this recipe.
Green cardamom – I add whole pods but you can use 2 to 3 pinches of green cardamom powder instead if you want.
Three milk sources – Full-fat milk, Sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. (more on substitutes down below)

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Substitutions

So the basic trio of milk, rice, and sugar is of course mandatory for this recipe. Let’s talk about the other 2 milk sources.

Sweetened Condensed Milk – Use a combo of more sugar and heavy cream instead.

Evaporated milk – I use evaporated milk to adjust the thickness and the sweetness of the kheer once it’s cooked while enhancing the flavor. You can use any milk alternative that you have at hand. The following are great substitutes for evaporated milk:

Milk powder mixed with milk to make a thicker milk alternative
Regular milk mixed in with chunks of khoya, or Indian mithai like barfi, kalakand
Unwhipped Heavy cream

PROPTIP: Simply use heavy whipping cream and sugar and skip the evaporated milk and condensed milk entirely if you are out of one or the other. You will need 500ml of heavy cream for the recipe quantities mentioned on the card.

Instructions

Since this is a one-pot recipe, there aren’t any complicated instructions to follow. But I’ve put together a pictorial to show you what the kheer looks like in different stages of cooking.

STEP 1 – In a wide pot, boil the soaked rice at low heat in the water. This will take about 10 mins, during which time you don’t need to stir the rice

partially cooked rice in a pot with a whisk

STEP 2 – Use a hand whisk to stir through the rice once the water evaporates and the rice has doubled in size.

STEP 3 – Add in milk and green cardamom and let the rice cook in the milk at medium to low heat.

milk and rice boiling in a pot forming a crust on top

STEP 4 – Your milk will form a crusty top while it’s boiling. This is normal. Whisk occasionally but you can leave the milk unattended for 5 to 6 mins at a stretch.

rice and milk cooking, being mixed with a whisk

STEP 5 – After 15 to 20 mins, you will see a thick porridge-like consistency of the kheer.

STEP 6 – Add in your sugar.

adding condensed milk to the pot of rice kheer

STEP 7 – And add in your condensed milk. Now the kheer will liquefy again a little bit. This is normal. Let it cook for another 10 mins at medium to high heat. Whisk occasionally.

adding evaporated milk to a pot of rice kheer

STEP 8 – Turn off the flame of the kheer and let it cool down. Now add evaporated milk as much as you like for your desired thickness and consistency.

Expert Tips

Most recipes will ask you to either break the rice by hand after soaking them or grind them in a food processor. But my favorite hack is to use a hand whisk instead while cooking, which naturally breaks the rice grains and reduces an additional step.
I used these cool clay pots that you see in the pictures to serve the kheer because that is how they are traditionally served. But the authentic clay pots need to be soaked in water overnight. If you use them, make sure you soak them overnight, or else they will absorb all the liquid from the kheer. Don’t ask me how I know that.
Cooked Kheer might splutter slightly towards the end of its cooking, so just be mindful of that while stirring.

Garnish and Serving

Rice kheer is served cold. As the cooked kheer cools down, it forms a thin milky crust on top as it reacts with air. I personally am not a fan of this and I usually cover the kheer with a lid once its done cooking. But some of my family members like the crust, so they usually pour the hot kheer into a serving bowl immediately and allow it to cool in the bowl with the crust on top.

The best garnishes for kheer are chopped or sliced pistachios and almonds. I also like to add rose petals for a little pizazz. You can incorporate the nuts into the kheer itself and then some more for toppings, or only as toppings.

Equipment

In traditional South Asian kitchens, kheer is usually made in aluminum pots because they are usually heavy bottom and the milk doesn’t burn easily in aluminum pots. You can also use any heavy bottom pot made with stainless steel or Dutch Ovens. You can also use a girdle or a tava underneath the pot if your pot isn’t heavy base.

How to make Dairy-Free Vegan Kheer

As you can see this dessert heavily relies on multiple milk sources for flavor and cooking. You can easily make a dairy-free kheer by using milk substitutes like nut milk and soy milk. Use coconut cream in place of the evaporated milk and condensed milk. You may have to adjust your sugar quantities as this recipe uses sweetened condensed milk.

FAQs for making Kheer

How long can the kheer last in the fridge?

Your kheer can last up to 7 to 10 days in the fridge easily. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container or covered by cling wrap to avoid any other aromas seeping into it.

Can you freeze Kheer?

Yes, yes you can! Once your kheer cools down completely, skip adding the evaporated milk and freeze. The kheer becomes slightly more liquid once defrosted. So you can either cook it again once it cools down or freeze a thicker batter by simply skipping the evaporated milk.

What to do if my kheer starts to burn?

If your heat is too high or your pot doesn’t have a thick base, your milk will burn from the edges turning it brown and giving your kheer a burnt aroma and aftertaste. While stirring the kheer if you see any browning on the edges of the pot, simply reduce the heat to low. If your heat is already low and you see your kheer is still burning on the edges, then add a tava or a pan on the base of your pot. If you somehow left your kheer unattended then you might find a big chunk of the bottom has burnt. In this case, turn off the heat and without stirring, simply pour the kheer from the top into a bowl. Try to save as much of it as you can and simply continue cooking this saved kheer in another pot.

Should I rinse the rice for Kheer?

Rinsing rice is usually done to remove any extra starch. But for Kheer, the starch helps to enhance the smooth texture of the recipe. I’d suggest not rinsing the rice for this reason, but go with your preference.

What to pair with Kheer

Since kheer is a dessert, its a stand-alone dish. But like I told you in the beginning, it pairs really well with hot crispy fried puris for brunch.

More Pakistani and Indian Desserts

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Rice Kheer – Rice Pudding

A one pot traditional South Asian dessert, made with rice, sugar and milk. Garnished with nuts and served cold.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: pakistani, South Asian

Prep Time: 0

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 50

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Wajiha