Do you get a burnt taste from your kheer?
Kheer is an Indian dessert made with rice, milk, sugar, and spices, and it is supposed to have a delicate, sweet flavor. However, sometimes things can go wrong, and it may develop a slightly bitter or burnt taste.
So, in the following guide, let’s see why this happens and how to avoid it.

Why Does Kheer Develop A Burnt Taste?
Kheer develops a burnt taste because of the following reasons –
- Overcooked rice
- Overboiled milk
- Excess sugar in the kheer
- High flame cooking
- Long cooking time
- Use of old spices
These are the six key reasons for such a taste in your kheer.
Now, here is a detailed explanation of each point –
1. Overcooked Rice
Kheer can be made in many different ways, but rice is often used as one of the main ingredients.
Rice gives kheer a thick and creamy texture.
However, if you overcook or burn the rice, it will make the kheer taste bitter.
2. Overboiled Milk
This could also be a factor in tasting your kheer bitter.
If you boil the milk for too long, it will start to form a layer of cream at the bottom of the pot. When this cream begins to burn, it can add an off taste to your milk.
Once you use the same milk to prepare kheer, it lends the same taste to the dessert. That’s why it’s better to avoid using overboiled milk for this preparation.
3. Excess Sugar In The Kheer
Sugar is an integral part of kheer, but again, this is less likely to be the reason for your kheer to develop a burnt taste.
If you use too much sugar and boil the milk or kheer for a long, the sugar will begin to caramelize and burn.
This can make your kheer very sweet as well as add a burnt flavor to it.
4. High Flame Cooking
High flame cooking never leads to good results, whether you make kheer or anything else.
When you cook kheer on a high flame, the milk or rice can stick to the bottom of the pan and begin to burn. Once the bottom layer of your kheer burns, it will spoil the entire dish and make it taste bitter.
It is one of the common reasons for this issue, so you will need to check the flame while cooking kheer.
5. Long Cooking Time
Did you forget to switch off the flame and leave kheer on the stove for too long?
I know it happens sometimes, but this is definitely not a good idea.
When you cook kheer for a long time, it begins to burn from the bottom. This is similar to the above point, as both high flame cooking and long cooking time affect your kheer.
Note: If you prefer a slow cooking method or cook it on an open fire, you should keep stirring kheer continuously to avoid this problem.
6. Use Of Old Spices
Again, it will not help much if you use old spices or other additional flavoring ingredients.
These ingredients may have lost their potency and can’t give the required flavor to your kheer. As a result, it will develop an off taste.
Similarly, using other ingredients that may have gone bad will spoil the kheer and make it taste different.
Overall, these are the key things you need to understand while finding the reason for the burnt taste in your kheer.
How To Fix The Burnt Taste In Kheer
I’m sure you must be wondering if there is any way to fix this problem. The good news is that you can do a few things to try and salvage your kheer.
Here’s what you need to do –
1. Add Banana Or Apple To Your Kheer
If the kheer is not too burnt, you can remove it from the existing pot and put it in a new one.
Add some chopped apples or bananas to the kheer and cook it for a few more minutes. You can also add some hot water to get the right consistency.
Ideally, this addition will help cut down on the burnt taste of the kheer.
Note: Apple pieces may take longer to cook, so cut them into small pieces.
2. Place A Slice Of Bread On Top Of Kheer
Bread is known to soak up flavors, and this includes the burnt taste as well.
Placing a slice of bread on top of the kheer while it’s still hot will help remove some of the burnt flavors. It is a tried and tested method, so you can use it without any issues.
You can place a few more slices on your kheer if the quantity is more.
As for the duration, you should keep them on the kheer for at least 20-30 minutes. This is ideal for them to soak up the unwanted burnt flavor.
3. Add More Milk To Kheer
That’s another way of fixing this problem.
If the kheer has become too thick and is getting slightly burned from the bottom, you can add some more milk to it.
Adding milk will help thin down the kheer and reduce the burnt taste’s intensity.
4. Use Rose Water
Rose water is nothing but water that has been flavored with rose petals. This ingredient is commonly used in Indian desserts and can help mask the burnt taste of the kheer.
Just add a few drops of rose water to the kheer and mix it well. Cook the kheer for a few minutes. It should make the kheer more palatable.
To flavor the kheer, you can also use other essences like vanilla, cardamom, or saffron.
Use them in moderate quantities. You don’t want to end up with a kheer that tastes like perfume.
So, this is how you can fix the burnt taste in kheer.
Things To Remember
It’s quite difficult to fix the burnt kheer. The fixes suggested above are effective and work great in such situations.
But they will be effective to a certain extent only. You may be unable to remove the smell or taste completely once it’s there.
So, it’s advisable to avoid this problem altogether, and you should be careful while cooking kheer.
The perfect kheer can only be made if you keep stirring once it thickens.
Also, you shouldn’t leave it on the flame for too long. Try to make kheer when you’re done cooking other dishes in the kitchen. This way, you can focus more on the kheer and won’t have to worry about other things.
FAQs
It may have been boiled for too long or on high heat. The sugars in the milk may have caramelized and given it a burnt flavor.
If your basundi has a burnt smell, you can try adding a few drops of rose water or other essences.
You can also add more milk to tone down the intensity of the burnt flavor.
You can add fresh curry leaves and garlic if your ghee smells burnt.
Cover the ghee for a couple of days, and it should do the trick for you.
Beetle leaf seems to have the same effect when you put it in the burnt ghee.
It’s because of the Maillard reaction.
When food is cooked at high temperatures, it undergoes a chemical change that gives it a unique flavor.
The bitter taste is usually due to the over-exposure of the food to heat.
The chemicals in the food may have reacted with each other and produced a bitter flavor.
Over To You
No one likes to have burnt food. But it happens, especially when you’re dealing with milk-based desserts.
The next time your kheer turns out burnt, don’t despair. You can follow the tips given in this guide, and you’ll be able to salvage it.
If you have any suggestions or new tips to fix burnt kheer, do share them with me in the comments section below.
You can also ask any of your queries related to this topic, and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Please share this guide with your friends and family if you found it helpful.
Leave a Reply