Paneer Kheer Recipe
Paneer kheer is a fasting dessert you make by simmering crumbled or grated paneer in milk with sugar, cardamom, and nuts until it thickens.
Ingredients
- 500 ml Full-fat milk Preferably whole milk
- 200 g Fresh paneer Crumbled or grated
- 3 tbsp Sugar Adjust to taste
- 1 pinch Cardamom powder For flavour
- 2 tbsp Almonds Chopped
- 1 tbsp Pistachios Chopped
- 1 tsp Saffron Optional ,for garnish
- 1 tsp Rose water or Kewra water Optional
Instructions
- Prepare the paneer. Crumble or grate fresh paneer coarsely. Too fine and it disappears into the milk; too coarse and it feels lumpy in the final bowl. Around 200 grams of paneer per half litre of milk is a good ratio.
- Reduce the milk. Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pan, bring it to a boil, then drop the heat and let it simmer. Stir it now and then so it doesn't catch at the bottom. Give it 10-12 minutes — this isn't a rabri-level reduction, just a gentle thickening.
- Add paneer and sugar. Stir in the crumbled paneer and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. The paneer softens further and the milk starts clinging to it. Hold off on the sugar until the last few minutes, or you risk the milk splitting early.
- Finish and rest. Add cardamom powder, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 10 minutes. It thickens noticeably as it cools — you'll notice the difference right away. Garnish with nuts and a few strands of saffron before serving warm or chilled.
Notes
Tips for creamy, non-grainy paneer kheer
Most paneer kheer problems come from cooking the paneer too long or using acidic paneer.- Add paneer last. More than 5 minutes of boiling makes paneer rubbery and the kheer grainy.
- Rinse homemade paneer. Leftover lemon juice or whey can split the hot milk.
- Grate it fine. Fine shreds melt into the milk; big crumbs stay chewy.
- Use a heavy pan. A thin pan scorches the milk and gives a burnt taste.
- Go easy on the heat. Keep it at a gentle simmer once the paneer is in.
- Stop early. Switch off while the kheer is a little thinner than you want; it sets as it cools.