Quinoa Kheer in the Instant Pot

Last fall, in 2019, we received the generous gift of an instant pot. A 6 quart, red pot that actually is more a hot, neon orange colour. As long as it works and catches my attention, reminding me to put it to use, I have no complaints! As soon as I got it, one of the first things I did was to ask for suggestion of what to cook. A friend suggested that I make kheer. Coincidentally, she is Indian and so am I, and in India every new beginning happens with something sweet. So, that is exactly what I did – I made kheer with rice. Then, wanting to experiment, I switched out the rice for quinoa. Turns out, this was quicker and just as delicious! So here goes.

Jump to Recipe

Let’s make some Quinoa Kheer and put that Instant Pot to use!

Toal Preparation Time: 30 minutes; Active cooking: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Quinoa 1/3 cup
• Ghee (Optional) 2 tsp
• Milk (2% or whole milk) 2 cups
• Sugar 6-8 tbsp
• Cardamom 2 pods (or use 1 tsp powdered cardamom)
• Assorted chopped nuts – cashews, almonds, pistachio etc

Method:

First, measure everything. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve. I prefer doing that compared to washing it in a bowl. I’ve noticed that a lot of quinoa actually flows away with the runoff water. So sieve it is!

Let the quinoa drain in the sieve. Keep the sieve on a bowl.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Next, turn on the instant pot and set it to the ‘Sauté’ setting for 2 minutes. At this point you could add ghee, if using, and then add the cardamom pods. I skipped the ghee and just added the cardamom pods and quinoa to the hot instant pot and stirred to quickly saute them. Then add one cup of milk to the pot, reserving the rest for later.

Put the lid on with the vent in the sealing position and set the instant pot to the ‘Porridge’ setting on high for 8 minutes. At the end of this cooking period, when the pot beeps and goes over to the keep warm setting, vent the pressure manually. Be careful, keep hands away from the steam and moisture that will gush out. This can scald your skin! So please keep your hands away.

The quinoa should be done. It should be fluffy with a white thread encasing each grain.

Once the pressure is released, open the lid and switch the pot back to the Sauté mode on low for 10 minutes. Add the remaining cup of milk to the pot. The aim now is to reduce the milk and thicken the kheer. Keep stirring to prevent milk from burning.

I do not remove the cardamom pods. I don’t mind chewing on them. But if you do either use powdered cardamom or remove the pods at this stage.

While you keep an eye on the milk, prepare the dry nuts, if using. I only added almonds and cashews – all of them roughly chopped. This is a trick my mom used to use, it helps thicken the kheer and also ensures everyone gets a bit of everything.

• 

• 

• 

Add the nuts and sugar to the kheer and mix well. Continue to cook until the saute mode comes to an end. I let the kheer cool down in the pot and then poured it into a serving bowl. You can garnish it with some extra nuts – almond, cashews or even pistachios, whichever you like best. Serve it warm or chilled.

An instant dessert – Quinoa Kheer in the instant pot!

Quinoa kheer in the instant pot is quick and easy to make, especially when you need dessert at short notice. It is also a dessert you can prep a day in advance for a party. Try it!