All the flavors of meetha paan come together in this delectable Paan Kheer! Topped with a rose cashew crumble, this paan kheer is a fun twist to the regular kheer and makes a great festive dessert!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 60 minutes
  • Total time: Not specified
  • Yield: 5
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup basmati rice (65 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon ghee
  • 4-5 whole green cardamom pods
  • 1 liter whole milk
  • 3 large paan leaves (use 2 if you want less strong paan flavor)
  • 2 tablespoons gulkand (rose petal preserve)
  • 1/4 cup + 4 tablespoons whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
  • 1-2 tablespoons nuts (I used chopped cashews & almonds)
  • 1-2 drops mint essence (optional)

Rose Cashew Crumble

  • 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 tablespoon rose syrup
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cashews

Method

  1. Soak 1/3 cup basmati rice for 20 to 30 minutes in enough water. Then drain the water and set aside.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Then add the soaked and drained rice. Saute for a minute or two along with green cardamoms (break them slightly before adding to the pan).
  3. Add in 1 liter milk and stir. Let it come to a boil on medium high heat.
  4. In the meanwhile puree paan leaves along with gulkand and 1/4 cup + 4 tablespoons milk (using a blender). Set it aside.
  5. Once the milk comes to a boil, lower the heat and cook the kheer for around 25 minutes, stirring often. If you don't stir often, the kheer might burn and stick to the bottom of the pan so don't forget that. It will thicken after 25 minutes, now add the prepared paan puree.
  6. Also add the sugar. Since gulkand is sweet, 3 tablespoons of sugar was good for me here. You can add more or less.
  7. Stir and simmer the kheer for 7 to 8 more minutes. Also add the nuts if using and mint essence. Remove pan from heat.
  8. To make the rose cashew crumble- in a large bowl, mix together flour with sugar and then add melted butter to it. Mix with your hands to mix it all together. Also pre-heat oven to 375 F degrees.
  9. Then add rose syrup and the cashews. Mix until it resembles crumbs.
  10. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 F degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Don't break into small pieces. Once you take out of oven, let it cool and then break into large crumbles.
  11. To serve, drizzle some rose syrup at the bottom of the bowl or glass then fill the glass with the paan kheer. Chill the kheer for few hours.
  12. Top with the prepared rose cashew crumble before serving. Serve the paan kheer chilled. Enjoy!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.