Kheer

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 ozbasmati rice, rinsed and soaked for 20 minutes
• 1 1/2 quartswhole milk
• 3 1/2 ozcaster sugar
• 1/2 tspground cardamom
• 1/4 tspsaffron, steeped in a splash of warm milk
• 1 1/2 ozpistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 ozalmonds, roughly chopped

Method

1. 1

   Bring the milk to the boil in the widest heavy pan you have, then turn it down to a steady simmer.

2. 2

   Drain the soaked rice and stir it into the simmering milk. Cook, stirring every few minutes and scraping the base and sides, until the grains have swollen and started to break down.

3. 3

   Add the sugar and carry on cooking until the kheer has reduced by about a third and coats the back of a spoon.

4. 4

   Stir in the cardamom and the saffron with its steeping milk, and cook for two minutes more.

5. 5

   Take it off the heat, stir through most of the pistachios and almonds, and scatter the rest over the top. It thickens a great deal as it cools, so stop while it still looks loose.