Kheer/Indian rice pudding with saffron and nuts

If there is any sweet dish deeply rooted into the Indian culture it is most ubiquitously the 'Kheer'. For those who have not had the pleasure, it is a close cousin to your typical rice pudding just more exotic and flavorful (in my humble opinion). Here are a few facts to highlight the pervasiveness and importance of this dish in Indian culture. Even though the taste might vary when prepared by one person to another due to how much attention has been given to details, unlike most other dishes in the Indian cuisine that vary widely with the region they are being made in, the recipe and ingredients for the Kheer have stood the test of time and geography. Barring of course the additional flavoring or condiments, the taste essentially is unchanged. Here's another fact - traditionally, when a newly wed bride comes home the first time to her in-laws place, guess what is the first dish she is expected to make, yes the Kheer. Any celebration, any traditional function and festival, even for day to day entertaining the kheer finds its way into the menu. The greatness of this recipe is its simplicity. The slow cooking of the milk along with rice creates that delicious thick rich earthy flavor. Guess you have to try it to find out if you haven't already.

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