Italian arancini meets Indian kesar kheer. My version of these sweet arancini is filled with creamy Indian rice pudding that's laced with saffron. Dip them in a golden white chocolate sauce to make the perfect east-meets-west fusion dessert!
If you want a recipe that will have your friends, family or guests in awe of your culinary skills, you need to make these Indian rice pudding balls! They're crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and completely irresistible.
Rice kheer has always been a part of our festive menu - it's rich, comforting, and fragrant. Over the years, I’ve also enjoyed plenty of vegetarian Sicilian arancini, but I never imagined the two could come together.
Recently, while experimenting with a savoury Indian-fusion arancini, I thought: why not try a sweet version too? A few recipes I came across used egg, but I wanted to keep mine completely egg-free. Thanks to my trials with the savoury version, I had already perfected the coating; the challenge was finding the right filling.
In the end, I created a thicker, English rice pudding–style kheer, and it worked beautifully – creamy inside, crisp outside, and utterly indulgent.
I then coat in a simple cornstarch slurry before breading with panko. All that's left is deep-frying.
Notes on Ingredients & Flavours
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Basmati rice - traditionally, kheer is made with basmati so that's what I have used here. You can also use pudding rice.
Milk - I've trialled with whole milk (3.5% fat UK) and semi skimmed milk (1.5% fat UK) and both work well.
Condensed milk - I like using condensed milk rather than sugar because it gives a stickiness to the kheer. It makes it easier to shape into balls and hold that shape when frying. I don't add too much as the arancini will be served with a sweet sauce. If you aren't planning on making a sauce, add a little more condensed milk for sweetness.
For the flavours, I wanted to honour the classic "kesar pista" combination that I've used in my kesar pista ice cream, kesar pista coconut ladoo with condensed milk & kesar pista badam barfi.
Saffron - saffron threads are the best but you can use saffron essence.
Nuts - I've used finely chopped pistachios but you could also add almonds.
Cardamom powder - I add cardamom powder to the kheer and to the panko breadcrumbs. Afterall, its the main spice in Indian desserts!
Panko breadcrumbs - I've tested this recipe only with panko breadcrumbs for the breading. I crushed down the panko into a fine crumb so they're easier to coat. Also, they look more uniform. We want these looking pretty, right?
Cornflour - needed to make the cornstarch slurry. I tried the recipe with a thin and a thick slurry. For me, the thin slurry worked a lot better. Too thick and the arancini took longer to cook and tried to split open in the oil. (No good).
Golden Spiced White Chocolate Sauce
This chocolate sauce is a take on kesar lachha rabdi and basundi. Basically I wanted creaminess and Indian flavours combined in a thick sauce you can either drizzle or dip. Using chocolate was the perfect answer - sweet and adds thickness too.
White chocolate - I've used regular white chocolate bars, chopped into chunks.
Cream - I've gone for double cream which is nice and thick for this sauce.
Saffron - I add a few threads whilst the sauce is still warm to allow for max infusion.
Cardamom - a hint of cardamom complements the intense sweetness.
See how I used this leftover white chocolate in these badam halwa chocolate truffles.
Tips you need to know
- You absolutely must chill the kheer before deep frying, otherwise they may fall apart in the hot oil. I let the cooked kheer chill in the fridge overnight and also placed the kheer balls in the fridge for at least 30 minutes again before breading.
- Deep fry immediately after breading or else the slurry may make the filling too moist and fall apart.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Indian Rice Kheer Arancini
Ingredients
Sweet Arancini
- 1 cup basmati rice soaked
- 5 cups whole milk
- ¾ cup condensed milk adjust to sweetness
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 tablespoon water
Golden White Chocolate Sauce
- 200 gram white chocolate
- ½ cup cream adjust based on thickness
- ¼ cup milk
- pinch saffron
- pinch cardamom
Garnishing (optional)
- pistachios
- rose petals
Instructions
Arancini
- Soak saffron in a few spoons of milk.
- In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat milk on medium-low heat to a rolling boil. You must stir continuously to prevent the milk sticking.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and add the soaked basmati rice. Cook the rice until soft and mushy and the milk is well absorbed. You will have to stir continuously and keep the heat low. Add more milk if the rice remains undercooked.
- Pour in the condensed milk and cook the kheer until it becomes thick.
- Add cardamom powder and the saffron milk.
- Let the kheer cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge to chill.
- Once chilled, roll into equal sized arancini balls. Press down to tightly pack the kheer. Place back in the fridge whilst you prepare the slurry.
- In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water.
- In a food processor, grind the panko to a fine crumb. Place in a bowl and add the cardamom powder.
- Prepare a breading station. First dip the arancini into the cornstarch slurry then allow the excess to drip away. Then immediately coat in the panko. Set aside and complete for the remaining arancini. Whisk the slurry at intervals as cornstarch likes to settle.
- Heat oil in a deep pan on medium-high. Toss in a small piece of bread - if it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough. If it immediately browns, the oil is too hot. Lower one ball gently into the oil using a slotted spoon and deep fry until golden brown all over.
- Repeat for all arancini.
White Chocolate Sauce
- Break the chocolate into small chunks.
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and milk in 20 second bursts for around 1 minute. Keep checking to ensure the milk does not over boil.
- Add the chocolate to the hot cream and stir gently until the chocolate has melted.
- Add cardamom powder and saffron. Optionally add rose petals.
- Serve aranicini cold or warm with the chocolate sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Hayley Dhanecha says
This is one of those recipes I keep coming back to for dessert tables, it feels fun, indulgent and always gets people curious with the first bite. Crispy, warm and really moreish.