Rice cooked with milk is something I grew up on and have come to love more in my adult years than I ever did as a kid. You can eat it as a breakfast food, or as a dessert, topped with sugar or a fruit sauce.
This recipe is a little thinner than I remember having it at home. I’m a huge fan of the pudding consistency, however, so I wanted to make it more like pudding than just rice cooked in lots of milk. It worked!
Since the rice takes a while to cook and break down, plan some time to make this so that the starch releases properly. I recommend putting it on the stove while you work on other things in the kitchen. Standing by the stove for an hour+ with no other aim is really not my idea of a good time. On the other hand, stirring something tasty every once in a while, as you work on something else, is totally worth it!
Unlike most puddings, this one is made without egg or butter. You can always add those two things if you prefer (I would do one egg and about 3 Tbsp butter for this recipe) for extra richness. Honestly though, I like it just like this!
Here’s the recipe!
Easy Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup medium grain white rice
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp sugar (or to taste; see recipe notes)
Instructions
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Combine all of the ingredients in a small-medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan.
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Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Reduce to a simmer.
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Cook, stirring frequently (to prevent burning) until the mixture thickens (enough to coat the back of a spoon with white) and looks a bit like tapioca pudding (with the rice floating on top). This does take a while (usually about 1-1/2 hours), so be patient!
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Pour the thickened mixture into a heat proof bowl or container; cover, and refrigerate. Serve cold for best results. (Note: The mixture will continue to thicken as it chills.)
Recipe Notes
If you are looking to make a sweet pudding, increase the amount of sugar in this recipe to 1/3 cup, or to your personal taste.
There you have it: Four ingredients and a whole lot of delight! Try adding a bit of vanilla and/or cinnamon (1/2 tsp/ea) for some extra deliciousness, if desired.
Also, side note – a more glutenous rice will give you a thicker pudding, so keep that in mind!
I’ll be back soon,
–Naomi
[…] took on a strong fruity flavour with a clear syrupy “broth.” She usually served it over rice cooked with milk, to my memory; but you could serve it as a topping on many things. Personally, I’d like to […]