INDIAN RICE PUDDING {V, GF, RSF}
Marc and I recently made sushi and as we were leaving for California the following week, we were on a mission to use everything in the fridge and pantry. So what to do with leftover sushi rice? Indian Rice Pudding, of course, Riz au Lait in France or Kheer in India. I’ve never made it before so I decided to do a little research.
In Southern India, Cardamom Rice Pudding is equivalent to cake at wedding and birthday celebrations. Cardamom is one of the world’s most ancient spices and is native to the evergreen forests of Eastern India where it grows wild. The ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom seeds as a tooth cleaner; the Greeks and Romans used it as a perfume. Vikings came upon cardamom in Constantinople over one thousand years ago and introduced it in Scandinavia where it remains popular today. There are three types of cardamom; green cardamom, black cardamom and Madagascar cardamom. For cooking, it is best to buy cardamom still in the pods, which are removed and discarded. Cardamom is an expensive spice, second only to saffron. Commonly used in Indian cuisine, Cardamom has also made its way into Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for mouth ulcers, digestive problems, and even depression. For more health benefits, click here or here.
INGREDIENTS
1- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (sushi, arborio, brown round rice) I used leftover sushi rice *
1 cup almond milk I used 1/2 cup almond milk (because I didn’t have enough) and 1/2 cup water
1 15-oz can coconut milk (best to use full fat, but you can also use lite coconut milk)
2 Tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp saffron, lightly crushed
1/4 tsp cardamom, ground
1/3 cup golden raisins or raisins will do
1/4 cup raw pistachios, crushed
a handful of almonds, sliced
a pinch of cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
*Note – When cooking rice, it’s extremely important to wash the rice as it removes surface starch and impurities and thus a source of added stickiness = mush. I find it usually requires 3-5 rinses so that the water is no longer cloudy.
METHOD
In a saucepan, mix cooked rice and almond milk until it comes to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.
Add coconut milk, scrapings of 1/2 of a vanilla bean, agave or maple syrup, crushed saffron and ground cardamom.
Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens again.
Add raisins and half of the pistachios place into a glass bowl or into separate glass serving bowls and cover with plastic wrap so that it’s touching the rice. Leave on the counter until it cools and serve either at room temperature, or put it into the refrigerator and serve chilled.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with remaining pistachios, sliced almonds, cinnamon and/or nutmeg.
- 1- 1½ cups cooked rice (sushi, arborio, brown round rice) I used leftover sushi rice *
- 1 cup almond milk I used ½ cup almond milk (because I didn't have enough) and ½ cup water
- 1 15-oz can coconut milk (best to use full fat, but you can also use lite coconut milk)
- 2 Tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup
- ½ vanilla bean
- ½ tsp saffron, lightly crushed
- ¼ tsp cardamom, ground
- ⅓ cup golden raisins or raisins will do
- ¼ cup raw pistachios, crushed
- a handful of almonds, sliced
- a pinch of cinnamon
- a pinch of nutmeg
- In a saucepan, mix cooked rice and almond milk until it comes to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add coconut milk, scrapings of ½ of a vanilla bean, agave or maple syrup, crushed saffron and ground cardamom.
- Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens again.
- Add raisins and half of the pistachios place into a glass bowl or into separate glass serving bowls and cover with plastic wrap so that it's touching the rice. Leave on the counter until it cools and serve either at room temperature, or put it into the refrigerator and serve chilled.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle with remaining pistachios, sliced almonds, cinnamon and/or nutmeg.