Clean and rinse the rice nicely. Soak the rice for 10-15 minutes in normal room temperature tap water.
In a heavy bottom pan, add the milk.
Bring the milk to boil stirring in between.
Add rice, once the milk is hot or has just started coming to a boil. (This would take 10-15 minutes on slow and in that time your rice would have been soaked)
Let the rice cook on slow to medium stirring in between.
Keep on stirring the milk and rice mixture so that the it does not stick to the bottom.
Stirring in between also helps to add the cream formed on the top to mix again in the milk.
Keep on scraping the sides of the pan for milk solids that gets stick to the sides. Do add that to the milk again.
The cooking of the rice will take around 40-45 minutes on slow, so be patient. Do not rush or else you will burn the milk.
Add the sugar and mix it again till all the sugar is dissolved.
Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
Now in a bowl add a pinch of saffron and add a tablespoon of kheer.
Give this a mix and add this to the kheer.
Switch off and now add the cardamom powder and almonds if using.
If using Kewra water add 1 teaspoon after the mixture cools down a bit.
Garnish with saffron, pistachio, rose petals, or as required.