Recipe: Coconut Rice Kheer
Coconut Rice Kheer is a creamy, tasty vegan kheer or rice pudding that is made with fresh coconut, rice and coconut milk. Add a bit of cardamom or cinnamon powder for that spice flavour and some chopped nuts for a bit of crunch. Actually, this gluten free kheer is so easy to make and perfect for those who follow a vegan diet. However, it is a delicious alternate for those who don’t follow a vegan diet.
What Is Kheer?
Kheer is the Indian way of preparing a rice pudding. Basmati rice or short grain rice is allowed to cook in milk till it is done and appears thick and creamy. Spices, nuts and dried fruits are added and served hot or cold. However, it is common to find kheer made with other grains, fruits and vegetables other than rice. My all time favourite is Sabudana Kheer.
Theme: Vegan Recipes
This month for the Shhh Cooking Secretly group Radha who blogs at Magical Ingredients suggested we make Vegan Recipes. Her creamy unique vegan jackfruit kofta curry is a must try recipe. What I like is that she has got the creaminess of the curry base by using cashewnut yogurt.
What Is A Vegan Diet?
A vegan diet is where no animal products are used in cooking, be it meat, fish, eggs, dairy products. In other words, it is a plant based diet. In fact, the whole concept of this diet is to minimize or stop exploitation and cruelty of animals. Nowadays it is easier to find ready made vegan cheese, milk, fake meat, etc.
Check Out Some Vegan Recipes On My Blog
My Partner
As this group largely is a partner dependent group, each month we pair up participants. They give them 2 secret ingredients to use in their dish. Once the dish is ready, the photo is posted on our FB group. Then other participants try and guess the two secret ingredients. For this purpose, my partner is Sasmita. She blogs at First Timer Cook. Her photos are simply beautiful. I had indicated to Sasmita that I would like to make a vegan dessert. Accordingly, she gave me coconut milk and cardamom. As hers is a savoury dish I suggested she uses onion and broccoli. With those two ingredients she has made finger licking, crispy Broccoli Balls using an air fryer.
Ingredients Required For Coconut Rice Kheer
Rice – I usually use basmati rice. However, feel free to use short grain rice or any other rice of your choice.
Water – to wash and soak the rice in. Also need some to cook the rice.
Fresh Coconut – shredded.
Coconut Milk – I have used canned coconut milk as it tends to be thicker. I used Renuka brand coconut cream which actually has the consistency of thick coconut milk.
Oil– generally rice is stir fried in ghee before adding milk. As this is a vegan recipe, I have used avocado oil. Use any odourless oil or coconut oil.
Beet Sugar – many of the refined sugar are refined with bone char and therefore not suitable for a vegan diet. Or use coconut sugar. If you use coconut sugar, the colour of the kheer will be a bit dark.
Nuts – mixed nuts, chopped. Add nuts of your choice.
Cardamom Powder – elachi. Add according to your taste. Can replace it with cinnamon powder.
Watch How To Make Vegan Coconut Rice Kheer

COCONUT RICE KHEER
Ingredients
- ¼ cup rice
- 2 cups water
- ⅓ cup fresh coconut shredded
- 2 cups coconut milk thick
- ¼ -⅓ cup sugar vegan
- 2 tbsp nuts chopped
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or any odourless oil
Instructions
WASH AND SOAK THE RICE
- Wash the rice by adding water, gently rubbing it. Discard the water. Add more water. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
- Add ½ cup water to the washed rice.
- Allow the rice to soak for 20-30 minutes.
- Drain the water out.
PREPARATION OF COCONUT RICE KHEER
- Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat.
- Stir fry the chopped nuts till they are light golden in colour.
- Remove them from the pan into a plate and keep them on the side.
- To the remaining oil add the soaked rice.
- Stir fry for about 1 minute, mixing all the time.
- Add the shredded coconut and stir fry for 30 seconds or so.
- Add 2 cups of water. Mix well.
- Increase the heat to medium and allow the rice to cook.
- Stir it occasionally so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Allow the rice to cook a bit for about 10 minutes.
- By now most of the water will have evaporated.
- Add the sugar and mix well.
- Add the coconut milk.
- Mix well. Allow the kheer to cook in the coconut milk over low heat.
- Do not bring to a rolling boil as you don't want the fat to separate from the coconut milk.
- When the kheer becomes a bit thick after 10 minutes, add the fried nuts and cardamom powder.
- Mix well. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Serve it hot or cold. If you prefer cold kheer, allow it to cool at room temperature. Then put it in the fridge.
Notes
- Cook the rice in water first as you don't want the fat from the coconut milk to separate.
- Make sure you use good quality thick coconut milk. If you get thin coconut milk then reduce the amount of water you use to cook the rice.
- Add nuts of your choice. I used almonds and some pistachio for the topping.
- Soaked rice cooks faster and also makes the kheer more creamier.
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A Little Request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962

