Delicious Pakistani Kheer (rice pudding) made with @Almond_Fresh #recipe

In our house, we got milk. Usually at least three varieties. My husband is lactose intolerant, so we have his milk, 2% for the kids and Almond Fresh for me. I’ve come to love its nutty, bold, smooth flavour. I also love that it doesn’t interfere with iron rich foods that I eat. Calcium inhibits the absorption of iron. As someone who tries to keep on top of my iron consumption, this is really important for me.

To be honest, in addition to coffee cream, cooking cream and other such dairy products, three different types of milk really add up FAST. When in a pinch I just buy Almond Fresh. Everyone can drink it, there are several delicious flavours and it’s easy to cook with as well.

In case you missed my Strawberry, Banana Almond Fresh smoothie recipe, you can check it out here and PIN it for later here. Smoothies are easy peasy. Throw the ingredients in a blender and off you go. Lately I’ve enjoyed cooking with my Almond Fresh and the results have been delicious!

Given my South Asian heritage, I decided to opt for a twist on a Canadian classic. My family loves rice pudding and its creamy texture. Here’s a recipe for Pakistani kheer. This rice pudding is infused with soulful notes of cardamom, and the nutty flavour of Almond Fresh. This may be topped with freshly crushed pistachios, almonds, cashews, raisins, dates, and the list goes on.

My favourite part? This recipe takes 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish. Set the timer and try it out for yourself. 

I love recipes with a story. This one was discovered when I was having company over, my daughter was only a couple of months old and I was making basmati rice for dinner while cleaning the house and nursing my baby. The rice overcooked and there was A LOT of it. I couldn’t bear the thought of throwing it out so I thought back to my warm childhood memories of the Pakistani kheer that my mom would serve at her dinner parties. And so this recipe was born.

We all love shortcuts. What I did to help things along (and mimic my original inspiration) is I used 1/2 cup well cooked basmati rice. I cooked it in my rice cooker (stove top is equally as good). I cooked 1/2 cup of basmati rice is 1.5 cups of water to add to the mushy factor. 

Then I put 1 tsp of butter in a large saucepan (or pot) and cracked two green cardamom pods. I let them infuse in the butter for about a minute or two (until the kitchen air is infused with cardamom-y goodness). I then added 4 cups Almond Fresh original to the pot. It would be equally as delicious with Almond Fresh Coconut or Vanilla (depending on your taste buds). I lowered the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. The milk thickened as it simmered. I then added the pre-cooked rice to the pot, stirred it in and added 1/8 of a cup of sugar. (You can add more or less depending on your taste buds). When the timer went off 15 minutes later, I allowed the mix to cool slightly, spooned it into serving bowls and sprinkled it with some freshly chopped pistachios. Easy peasy. 

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Its creamy smooth, nutty, cardamom-y flavours are addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

DISCLOSURE: While I partnered with Almond Fresh for this post, all opinions are 100% my own.