Enjoy making this easy Bohra Kalamra or Karma recipe with just 5 basic pantry ingredients! Explore all the variations and garnishes explained in detail, and get creative with your own version!
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The Tradition:
Kalamra is a traditional Bohri dessert that is made in every Bohri home during the Islamic month of Rabi ul Awwal to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This day is called Milad un Nabi, which means the birth of the Prophet.
Rabi ul Awwal is an auspicious month of celebration, and I am particularly happy to be writing this post today, on the 12th of Rabi ul Awwal.
Kalamra is a simple and easy-to-make dessert that is made with rice, sugar milk, and yogurt. It is garnished with nuts, pomegranate seeds, and rose petal. It is best served chilled.
No matter what culture you belong, if you are a true foodie then ditch the tradition and just focus on the taste of this yogurt pudding, which is unique and delish.
Other Bohra desserts that we love to make are Kharak, Kharak pudding, Malida, Gol Papdi and Anda nu mesub.
Ingredients
Let's look at the ingredients to make delicious kalamra or karma.
- Rice: Use long basmati rice and soak rice ahead so it is mushy and easy to blend after cooking.
- Sugar: Don’t try to switch this sweetener as any other sweetener will spoil the white color.
- Yogurt: Use sour yogurt for this recipe.
- Milk: Use full-fat milk for this recipe. Malai or powdered milk can also be added for a rich taste.
- Nuts: Use almond, pistachio, or cashew for garnish.
- Rose water: This is usually added for a soothing rose aroma. If you don’t have it in hand then you can skip it.
How To Make Kalamra Or Karma?
Let's begin.
- Wash and soak the rice in water for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. Boil rice for 10 minutes until fully puffed up.
- When the rice has puffed up, cover the lid of the pot. Cook further for 5-7 minutes on low heat until water dries completely. Protip: Covering will let the rice grains get very soft and mushy.
- Next, add milk and sugar to the mushy rice mixture and stir thoroughly.
- Continue to cook on low for another 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Keep stirring at intervals.
- Then blend with immersion blender until smooth. Cool the rice mixture completely. (Protip: I prefer doing the above steps at night so the kheer can cool easily overnight.)
- In a large bowl or pot combine yogurt and sugar. Mix in the blended rice mixture with a whisk or spoon.
- Adjust the consistency of the kalamra to your liking by adding more milk if it is too thick.
- Finish by garnishing with your favorite toppings. I like to use crushed pistachios, raisins, and rose petals.
Garnishing:
Kalamra can be garnished with a variety of ingredients, depending on your personal preference.
Some people like it plain with just a few nuts, while others prefer to load it up with pomegranate and raisins. You can also garnish with other ingredients such as sliced almonds, pistachios, cashews, dried rose petals, or coconut flakes.
If you want to make the Kalamra extra rich and creamy check the variations sections below.
Expert Tips:
- Buy yogurt a night ahead to give it extra time to ferment.
- Cook the rice a night ahead to give it plenty of time to cool. This will make it easier to assemble and chill the Kalamra the next day.
- Cool the rice mixture completely before adding yogurt. This will prevent the yogurt from releasing water and becoming watery.
- If you want to increase the sweetness of kalamra, just heat a little milk and add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix until sugar dissolves. Then add this sweet milk to kalamra.
Variations:
I kept the main recipe simple with just 5 ingredients: rice, sugar, yogurt, milk, and nuts. This results in a delicious and flavorful dessert.
If you like your Kalamra extra rich and creamy, there are a few things you can do:
- Add extra milk powder along with milk.
- Switch some of the sugar with condensed milk this will give the Kalamra a creamier texture.
- Use some evaporated milk while making kheer.
- Add cream or Malai (Indian clotted cream) along with the yogurt this will eventually help kalamra to be richer and creamier.
In the old version of this recipe, khoya mawa (evaporated milk solids) was added as a garnish. However, I suggest avoiding this for health reasons.
FAQ
Use 2X or 3X in the recipe card to double the recipe. The cooking time will increase so look for visual signs of each step.
When you add yogurt to the hot rice mixture, heat can cause the yogurt to release water and become runny. Make sure to let the rice mixture cool completely before adding the yogurt.
If Kalamra tastes like kheer and not sour it is because the yogurt is not fermented enough (sour). Let the kalamra rest in the fridge for a day, it will be a bit sour the next day.
If you don't cook the rice properly until the mushy stage, the kalamra can be grainy.
If you try this Kalamra recipe, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.
📖 Recipe
Bohra Kalamra Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g or 1 cup basmati rice,, soaked for two hours
- 3 cups water
- 750 ml or 3 cups milk, more to thin out if needed
- 275 g or 1 ¼ cup sugar , or to taste
- 600 ml or 2½ cups yogurt
- 2 tablespoon rose water, optional
Garnishing (all garnishing is optional)
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup mixed nuts, (almond, pistachio, cashew)
- ¼ cup raisins, soaked
- few rose petals,, washed
- ⅓ cup cream, if you like it richer, I didn't use it.
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice in water for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
- Boil rice for 10 minutes until fully puffed up. When the rice has puffed up, cover the lid of the pot. Cook further for 5-7 minutes on low heat until water dries completely. (Rice grain should mesh fully upon pressing. )
- Next, add milk and sugar to the mushy rice mixture and stir thoroughly. Continue to cook on low for another 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Keep stirring at intervals.
- Then blend with immersion blender until smooth. Cool the rice mixture completely.
- In a large bowl or pot combine yogurt, rose water and sugar. Mix in the blended rice mixture with a whisk or spoon. Adjust the consistency of the kalamra to your liking by adding more milk if it is too thick.
- Finish by garnishing with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Buy yogurt a night ahead to give it extra time to ferment.
- Cook the rice a night ahead to give it plenty of time to cool. This will make it easier to assemble and chill the Kalamra the next day.
- Cool the rice mixture completely before adding yogurt. This will prevent the yogurt from releasing water and becoming watery.
- All garnishing is optional because few like plain and smooth karma while other like loaded with nuts, pomegranates and raisins. So, when you make it, eat as you like best.
- If the karma is too thick, you can thin it with more milk.
- Add extra milk powder along with milk.
- Switch some of the sugar with condensed milk
- Use some evaporated milk while making kheer.
Rashida Bengali says
Hi,
Why the previous version has been deleted that included addition of milk powder?
Mariam Sodawater says
Hi, I retested the recipe and it is good without milk powder too. I try to keep recipes simple with fewer ingredients. You can always add more milk powder or cream or condensed milk to adjust the taste to your liking. I'm sorry, if you were disappionted.
Mehfooza says
Thanx Mariyam
My daughter loves karma
I'll try ur recipe tomorrow inshaaAllah. Thanx . ?
Recipe 52 says
Thanks for leaving a comment. Hope your like it. ?
S Zakirhussain says
My mom made it in a very simple way. she would mash hot, hot rice with sugar. cool it a bit and add all yogurt or half yogurt and half cream. garnish with raisins and poppy seeds and pomegranate seeds when in season
Simply delicious.
Anonymous says
My mom used to make it in a very simple way. She would mash hot rice along with sugar, and when it was slightly cooled down she would mix in half cream half yogurt or just yogurt.
Garnished it with raisins and poppy seeds and pomegranate seeds when in season.
imple and delicious.
Recipe 52 says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll give this a go. Seems easy and quick.
burhanudin daudali says
Love your recipe, so simple and easy to follow, even a man can do it , now I just need to scale it for 16 thaals on milad un nabi
Recipe 52 says
Thank for the kind words Burhanuddin. ? Good Luck! 16 thaal Mashallah, lots of blessings are coming your way.
Umm-e-Aimen Taaha says
Your recipe is super dooper Hit.... love it.
Recipe 52 says
Thank a lot dear, you are always a motivation. ?
Asma says
Looks v tempting... definitely trying. Do we need to cook after yogurt addition?
Mariam Sodawater says
Thankd dear. No cooking after adding! In fact, make sure rice-milk mixture is cooled before you add dahi. (Dahi releases water upon heating.)