Kheer is an Indian dessert made by boiling milk, sugar, and rice or another grain, such as seviyan (vermicelli) or sabudana (tapioca pearls). It is often flavored with cardamom, saffron, and rose water, and garnished with almonds and pistachios. It is slowly cooked over a long period to develop a thick, creamy consistency.
Kheer is most common in the northern parts of India; contrast payasam, a similar dessert that is more common in the south.
Menus will sometimes advertise shahi kheer, meaning "royal" kheer, which may have more dried fruits and paneer.