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Makhana kheer is made with slightly roasted makhana cooked in milk flavored with saffron and green cardamom powder. It is finished with a variety of dry fruits and refrigerated before consuming. It is quick and easy to make makhana kheer at home. Read my recipe to learn the steps.

Table of Contents

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Makhana kheer is a favored dish in India and is extensively consumed during the festive seasons after fasting.
Serve it as is. You also pair it with roti or puri.

Makhana kheer tastes sweet, creamy, and nutty.
Other similar recipes are sabudana kheer, rice kheer, and chanar payesh.

The Ingredients:

To fry the makhana:

2 cups makhana
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

To fry the nuts:

1 tbsp ghee
1/3 cup cashew nuts
1/3 cup peanuts (soaked, skin removed)

To make the kheer:

4 cups milk
12 strands saffron (kesar)
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chironji
1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 cup sugar

I got this recipe from a fellow customer at the vegetable market. We were both shopping for the Navratri and started talking about the food we have, especially after fasting. She laughed and said, “You must try my style of breaking my fast.” Right there, she told me everything about this sweet dish.

I noted it mentally and tried it that day just out of curiosity. My husband said it felt “market fresh,” and my boys enjoyed the sweet and creamy taste. Now, it is our seasonal and festive special sweet dish. That moment reminded me that food conversations do not need formalities or acquaintances—they begin over shared choices and end with shared joy at the dining table.

How to Make Makhana Kheer? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) on a low flame and put 2 cups of makhana in it. Fry them for about 2 to 3 minutes.

(Pro tip: Do not fry the makhana to a golden brown color. A slight color change is recommended).

Step 2: Remove them on a plate when they are nicely fried and crunchy. Keep aside 4 or 5 pieces of whole makhana for final garnishing. As for the rest, grind them to a coarse paste in a mixer.

Step 3: Now, on a plate take 1/3 cup of cashew nuts, 1/3 cup of peanuts (soaked, skin removed), 1/3 cup of raisins, 1/3 cup of chironji, and 1/3 cup of chopped pistachios. Keep them aside.

Step 4: Now, heat 1 tbsp of ghee again in the frying pan on a low flame and put in the cashew nuts and raw soaked peanuts without their skin. Fry them for about 2 to 3 minutes as well. Remove them on a plate when done, chop them, and keep them aside.

Step 5: Now, in the same kadai, pour 4 cups of full-fat milk along with 12 strands of saffron (kesar). Mix them. Let the milk cook until it thickens and reduces to half.

Step 6: Add the coarsely ground makhana to the milk now. Mix it nicely and continue cooking.

(Pro tip: While cooking kheer, always stir the milk continuously because it tends to stick to the bottom of the kadai as it thickens. Also, keep the flame to low).

Step 7: Check the consistency of the milk. It should have a dropping consistency and not be too thick.

(Pro tip: As the kheer will be refrigerated, it will become lumpy if the milk is too thick).

Step 8: Now add the raisins, chironji and chopped pistachios along with the roasted and chopped peanuts and cashew nuts. Mix them nicely first, and then add 1/3 cup of sugar to it and mix nicely.

(Pro tip: You can add ½ cup of dry fruits in total if you think 1/3 cup of each will be too much. You can even skip a few nuts you do not like and add the ones you prefer).

Step 9: Check the final consistency of the makhana kheer and then add ½ tsp of green cardamom powder to it and mix well. Turn off the flame of the gas stove and leave the kheer for about 10 to 15 minutes to bring it to room temperature.

Step 10: There will be a thick layer on the kheer by now. Mix this malai along with that on the sides of the kadai, and your thick and tasty makhana kheer will be eventually ready.

Step 11: Transfer your makhana kheer to a serving bowl, and garnish it with a few chopped dry fruits and the whole makhana pieces you kept aside earlier. Refrigerate it for about an hour or two and enjoy.