A delectable marriage of traditional Indian rice pudding and the luscious sweetness of custard apples, this luscious dessert becomes even more decadent with its creamy texture and flavour from the pulp of custard apples. Most loved in festivals as an added contribution to one's family gathering or simply as a sweet tooth. The kheer recipe starts with the extraction of pulp from ripe custard apples. This pulp is added to a base of simmered milk and rice to ensure all the seeds have been removed. It begins to boil the milk with soaked and partially cooked rice until it acquires a creamy consistency. A hint of sugar will do the trick, enhancing that sweetness, though mostly there's hardly any sugar required in the pulp, even with the slightly sour taste of the custard apple. The added fragrance and depth in the dessert come from mixing cardamom powder and strands of saffron into the kheer. Crunchy chopped nuts, such as almonds and pistachios, add to the crunch within the visual appeal while garnishing. This custard apple kheer recipe can be served warm for the chilly months or chilled for a refreshing drink during summer. This kheer of custard apples is so desirable as it is a super delicious and healthy dessert, and these apples possess vitamins and antioxidants. Anyone interested in relishing this tropical fruit and indulgently should try this dessert.

• 1 cup custard apple
• 4 cups milk
• 3 tbsp rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Saffron
• 2 tbsp chopped nuts
• 1 tsp ghee

• Custard apple kheer is an excellent dessert prepared with the use of a very ripe sweet custard apple. Their natural flavour tends to give the dessert a delicious taste.
• Peel off the custard apples very softly, so that seeds do not remain in the pulp. The pulp has to be very seedless because the presence of seeds can alter the texture of kheer.
• Once the pulp is ready, keep it aside and proceed to prepare the base of the kheer.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pan and boil full-fat milk over medium heat, occasionally stirring so that it doesn't adhere to the bottom of the pan.
• Once it reaches the boiling point, lower the heat and let it boil slowly until it thickens. Meanwhile, wash small quantities of basmati rice and let it soak in water for almost 20 minutes.
• This way, the rice cooks perfectly and blends with kheer very well.
• Soak rice in water and then drain the soaked rice into the milk and stir gently so as not to form lumps.
• Cook the rice in the milk till soft and creamy, stirring very often, lest it forms lumps. In the process, the milk will thicken into a rich and luxurious texture.
• Add sugar by choice with the pulp of custard apple as it possesses its sweetness.
• Stir well till all the sugar dissolves.
• Once the milk and rice mixture is ready, take the pan off the stove and let it cool slightly. This is because including the pulp of custard apple in very hot kheer often causes it to curdle.
• After letting the mixture warm up just not hot, slowly fold in the prepared custard apple pulp, stirring all the flavours together.
• Sprinkle a little cardamom powder and soaked saffron strands in one tablespoon of warm milk to give the kheer that exquisite fragrance. These spices blend well with the flavour of custard apples.
• Sprinkle chopped nuts like almonds and pistachios for a crunchy feel and a beautiful sight. You may even drizzle condensed milk to increase the richness. You may serve the custard apple kheer either warm or chilled, whichever suits your taste.