Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Kheer
191 kcal a serving, against 292 for the traditional version. That is 101 kcal off, or 35%, with 12.1g of protein. Serves 6. 60 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A rich and heavy Indian rice pudding made by simmering basmati rice in a vast quantity of whole milk for hours. The mixture is heavily sweetened with sugar, flavoured with crushed cardamom pods and garnished with chopped almonds.
What changed, and what each change costs
1200g of whole milk for a split of 600g of semi-skimmed milk and 400g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
Boiling down whole milk is a great way to build texture, but it concentrates a massive amount of fat. Semi-skimmed milk gets the rice cooked perfectly well. Stirring in fat-free Greek yoghurt right at the end replaces the lost creaminess and adds a huge hit of dairy structure without the crushing calories.
What it costs you. You lose the caramelised notes that come from boiling whole milk for 2 hours. The yoghurt also brings a distinct tang. A slightly tart, incredibly thick dessert that eats more like a spiced breakfast bowl, then. Not a purely sweet milk pudding anymore, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. I actually prefer the tartness, but traditionalists will definitely complain.
120g of caster sugar down to just 30g
Traditional recipes rely on a mountain of sugar to balance the heavy fat of the reduced milk. Once you strip out that fat and introduce the acidic tang of the yoghurt, you simply don't need all that sweetness. A small amount of sugar is enough to carry the cardamom flavour and satisfy your pudding craving.
What it costs you. The dessert is drastically less sweet. If you're expecting a massive sugar rush, you'll be disappointed. This version demands that you actually enjoy the flavour of the rice and the spices rather than just tasting pure syrup.
30g of almonds down to 20g
Nuts are brilliant, but they're incredibly dense in fat. Trimming 10g of the almonds keeps the crunch and the visual appeal while stripping unnecessary calories from the garnish.
What it costs you. You get slightly fewer nuts per spoonful. You'll barely notice.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 292 | 191 |
| Protein | 8.6g | 12.1g |
| Fat | 9.2g | 4.1g |
| Saturated fat | 4g | 1.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 44.6g | 26.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3g | 6.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk, nuts.
The method is in the book
This is a sharp, aromatic take on a classic that you can actually eat a big bowl of. Stripping back the sugar and relying on yoghurt for thickness completely changes the profile of the dish. I'll happily admit the original is a better pure dessert, but my version works brilliantly as an everyday option.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback