{
  "id": 5886727,
  "title": "6 Indian Rice Desserts Ranked Among The World’s Best—Here’s How To Make Them Healthier",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/6-indian-rice-desserts-ranked-among-the-worlds-best-heres-how-to-make",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T02:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/6-indian-rice-desserts-ranked-among-the-worlds-bestheres-how-to-make-them-healthier"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Festivals would not be complete without the aroma of rice simmering in milk. However, excessive sugar and heavy creams often lead people to skip these beloved desserts. This festive season, a group of chefs across India have created lighter, healthier versions of six popular Indian rice desserts - Phirni, Kheer, Sakkarai Pongal, Ven Pongal, and Doodhpak. This year is a perfect time to celebrate these treats, as TasteAtlas has ranked six Indian rice puddings among the top 32 globally.\n\nPhirni, a classic North Indian dessert, is known for its thick, creamy and grainy texture. Prepared by slowly cooking coarsely ground basmati rice in full-fat milk, Chef Rohit Dubey from Pilibhit House, IHCL SeleQtions Haridwar, suggests a healthier alternative: Jhingore ki Phirni. This version replaces traditional ingredients with barnyard millet, a gluten-free, light, and sustainably grown food. The dish is slow-cooked until creamy, sweetened delicately, and garnished with nuts for a subtle earthy flavor.\n\nKheer, also known as Payasam in South India, is believed to be one of the oldest desserts in the Indian subcontinent, with origins dating back over 2,000 years. To make kheer healthier, Chef Suresh from Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad recommends Thinai Payasam. This dish substitutes conventional polished rice and refined sugar with nutrient-dense alternatives like foxtail millet, which adds a nutty texture and superior nutritional profile. Cook thinai millet in water, add it to thin coconut milk, sweeten with date paste, and garnish with cashews and raisins.\n\nSakkarai Pongal, a traditional Tamil Nadu dessert, is typically made with raw rice, moong dal, jaggery, ghee, and cardamom. Chef Pankaj Singh from Fateh Vilas by Fateh Collection, Udaipur, proposes using organic black rice, known for its antioxidant powerhouse properties and high fiber content. Soak black rice overnight, pressure cook with water and moong dal, and add jaggery syrup, ghee, cardamom, roasted cashews, and raisins for a nuttier, darker version of the classic dessert.\n\nPongal, a simple and seasonal dish traditionally made with newly harvested rice, ghee, jaggery and cardamom, can also be given a healthier twist. Chef Ravi Partani from La Estoria IHCL SeleQtions, Goa, suggests using jaggery instead of white sugar and dates for added fiber and nutrients. Roast dal, pressure cook it with rice, and mix jaggery-date syrup into the cooked mixture for a rich, flavorful Pongal.\n\nVen Pongal, a comforting and naturally gluten-free dish made with rice and moong dal, can become vegan without losing its soul. Chef Madhusudhan Marupilli from Gateway Goa Palolem recommends replacing ghee with cold-pressed coconut oil or vegan butter, and adding warm spices like crushed pepper, ginger, cumin, and curry leaves to enhance flavor and digestion. This healthier Ven Pongal is both plant-based and nourishing.",
  "summary": "Festivals are incomplete without the aroma of rice simmering in milk. But between blood sugar spikes and heavy creams, most of us end up skipping the very desserts we grew up on. This festive season, we’re changing that. We got chefs from across India to create lighter, healthier versions of six star Indian rice desserts — from North India’s Phirni and Kheer to South India’s Sakkarai Pongal and…",
  "key_points": [
    "TasteAtlas ranks six Indian rice puddings among top 32 globally",
    "Chefs create healthier versions by replacing sugar and heavy creams",
    "Barnyard millet, foxtail millet, and black rice used for nutrient boost"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Healthier versions of traditional Indian rice desserts are gaining traction, allowing people to enjoy these festive treats while making mindful food choices, with chefs across India innovating with nutrient-dense alternatives.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}