Ambur Murtanjan Kheer recipe, How to make Muslim Wedding Kheer

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Eid sweet, also known by search terms like Ramadan dessert, Muslim wedding kheer, and pineapple milk rice, takes many forms across regions. But among Tamil Muslims — especially in towns like Ambur, Tirupattur, and Vaniyambadi — it often appears as a comforting, golden-hued bowl of Murtanjan Kheer.

This revival-style recipe — with seeraga samba rice, milk, ghee, cardamom, and candied pineapple — was first documented and published online by Sandhya Riyaz, creator of Sandyathome.com. If you see this dish online elsewhere, you now know where it began.

Personal Note

This dish is close to my heart. My husband loves it — and in every wedding or festive meal we’ve attended in Tirupattur, this gentle, mildly sweet rice kheer appears without fail after biryani. I learned to make it from the family cooks back home, and every time I prepare it, it feels like bringing a piece of that tradition into our everyday kitchen.

Bite of Murtanjan History

Known as Muthanjan or Murtanjan Kheer, this dish shares its roots with the Mughal zarda but carries its own Tamil-Muslim identity. It’s made with seeraga samba, simmered in milk and ghee, perfumed with cardamom, and topped with roasted cashews, almonds, and candied pineapple. Not too sweet, not too soupy — just soft, warm, and deeply nostalgic.
This dish, though rarely written about, lives in memories — passed down from kitchen to kitchen in handwritten recipes, wedding caterer notes, and the whispers of “you must taste the murtanjan before you leave.”

It’s not a common Google search — yet. But it’s a recipe worth remembering.

Jump to Recipe

Kheer Ingredients & Their Roles

Ingredient	Role in Recipe
Seeraga samba rice	Base grain that becomes soft yet textured — uniquely Tamil in character
Full-fat milk	Creamy cooking liquid that enriches the rice without overpowering it
Water	Used to soften rice before milk is added
Ghee	Adds rich aroma and depth, used for both rice and roasting garnish
Sugar	Mild, balanced sweetness — this is not a dessert payasam
Cardamom powder	Traditional spice for warmth and fragrance
Saffron strands	Adds golden hue and gentle royal flavor
Candied pineapple	Revival twist — chewy bits that surprise and delight
Cashews (broken)	Roasted in ghee for crunch and richness
Almonds (sliced)	Light textural contrast and nutty aroma
Rose or kewra water	Floral lift, especially for wedding-style servings
Salt (a tiny pinch)	Balances sweetness and deepens flavors

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Ambur Murtanjan Kheer recipe, How to make Muslim Wedding Kheer

Recipe by Sandhya Riyaz

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: Dessert / Festive Final CourseCuisine: Tamil Muslim / South IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A traditional Tamil/ Urdu Muslim wedding dish made with seeraga samba rice, milk, ghee, and dry fruits. Mildly sweet and soulfully fragrant.

Ingredients to make Muslim Wedding Sweet

¼ cup, ¼ Seeraga samba rice
(washed, soaked 20 mins, lightly crushed)
½ cup, ½ Water
1½ cups, 1½ Full-fat milk
3 tablespoon, 3 Sugar (adjust to taste)
¼ teaspoon, ¼ Cardamom powder
Saffron strands – a few soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk)
1/8 teaspoon, 1/8 Turmeric (for color)
1½ tablespoon, 1½ Ghee
1 tablespoon, 1 Cashews (broken)
1 tablespoon, 1 Almonds (sliced)
1 tablespoon, 1 Candied pineapple
Rose or kewra water – a few drops
Salt – a tiny pinch

Directions to make Muslim Wedding sweet

Soak and Crush the Rice
Wash and soak the seeraga samba rice for 20 minutes.
Drain and crush it lightly in a mixie or stone — just one pulse to break it. Do not grind it fine.
Cook the Rice
In a heavy-bottomed pan,add a teaspoon of ghee, add turmeric powder. Cook for 5 seconds. (This step is optional, you could skip it and add yellow food color instead) Now bring ½ cup water to a boil.
Add the crushed rice and a pinch of salt.
Cook on low flame till the water is mostly absorbed and rice is soft.
Simmer in Milk
Pour 1½ cups milk into the pan.
Stir gently and let it simmer on low.
Add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron milk (if using).
Cook until slightly thickened — about 6 to 8 minutes.
Roast Garnishes
In a small pan, heat ghee.
Fry broken cashews and sliced almonds until golden.
Toss in candied pineapple and sauté for a few seconds.
Combine and Finish
Add the ghee-fried nuts and pineapple to the kheer.
Add rose or kewra water if using. Mix gently.
Simmer 2 more minutes, then switch off the flame.
Let it sit for 5 minutes — it thickens as it cools.
Serve
Serve warm on a banana leaf for a traditional wedding feel after feast.

Notes

1 cup = 250 ml

Directions to make murtanjan eid sweet with step by step images

Soak and Crush the Rice
Wash and soak the seeraga samba rice for 20 minutes.
Drain and crush it lightly in a mixie or stone — just one pulse to break it. Do not grind it fine.
Roast Garnishes
In a small pan, heat ghee.
Fry broken cashews and sliced almonds until golden.
Toss in candied pineapple and sauté for a few seconds. Keep it aside.
Cook the Rice
In a heavy-bottomed pan, add a teaspoon of ghee, add turmeric powder. Cook for 5 seconds. (This step is optional, you could skip it and add yellow food color instead) Now bring ½ cup water to a boil.
Add the crushed rice and a pinch of salt.
Cook on low flame till the water is mostly absorbed and rice is soft.
Simmer in Milk
Pour 1½ cups milk into the pan.
Stir gently and let it simmer on low.
Add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron milk.
Cook until slightly thickened — about 6 to 8 minutes.
Combine and Finish
Add the ghee-fried nuts and pineapple to the kheer.
Add rose or kewra water if using. Mix gently.
Simmer 2 more minutes, then switch off the flame.
Let it sit for 5 minutes — it thickens as it cools.
Serve
Serve warm on a banana leaf for a traditional wedding feel after feast.

Pineapple Murtanjan Kheer with ghee-roasted nuts, a Sandyathome revival sweet recipe

Pro tips for Eid sweet

Always crush the rice slightly after soaking – this gives the perfect semi-kheer, semi-pulao texture.
Fry nuts and pineapple in ghee only, not oil – ghee lends depth and aroma.
If storing, warm gently with a splash of milk before serving.
Avoid over-sweetening – it’s not meant to taste like dessert payasam.

Serving Suggestion for Muslim Wedding sweet

Serve on a banana leaf after biryani, wedding style.

Faq for Murtanjan Ambur sweet

Is murtanjan kheer same as zarda or sheer khurma?

No — Murtanjan Kheer is a South Indian Tamil Muslim version made with seeraga samba and no vermicelli. Zarda uses basmati, and sheer khurma is a vermicelli-based Eid dessert.

Can I make Murtanjan Kheer ahead of time?

Yes, refrigerate after cooling. Reheat with a splash of milk. Add nuts just before serving.

Is this the same as Muslim wedding rice kheer?

Yes. In Ambur and Tirupattur weddings, this is the post-biryani kheer – mild, fragrant, and soulful.

Traditional Ambur-style Murtanjan Kheer served on a banana leaf after biryani in a Tamil Muslim wedding feast

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