Kheer ~ Warm Rice Pudding

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups white basmati rice

1 half gallon of whole milk or 3 cans of coconut milk (favorite brands are: Native Forest, Native Forest Simple, Aroy-D and Brad’s Organic. I do not like Thai Kitchen or Goya!)

heavy cream (optional)

3/4 - 1.25 cup of maple syrup

2 tablespoons of ghee

ground cinnamon

ground cardamom

healthy pinch pink salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

my favorite toppings: raw or lightly toasted pinenuts, sautéed bananas or toasted coconut flakes. Blanched almonds, cashews and pistachios are very traditional.

*NOTE: THIS WILL MAKE A BIG POT OF RICE PUDDING! YOU MAY WISH TO CUT THIS RECIPE IN HALF.

DIRECTIONS:

Wash rice thoroughly until the water run mostly clear.  Place in a large bowl and fill the bowl with water.  Mix thoroughly and the water will get cloudy.  Strain water and repeat several times until the water runs mostly clear. This step is essential to remove dust, dirt, debris and excess starch.  You can also wash rice in a large kitchen strainer.  The water won’t be 100% clear, but the murkiness will fade.

Cook the rice as you normally would, for basmati a ratio of 1 cup rice to 1.25 cups water generally works well.

Cook the rice is a large pot so you don’t have to transfer it later, but make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. If it has done so, transfer to fresh pot.

Once the rice is cooked and still warm, add all of the milk or the coconut milk. If using the coconut milk, also add 4 cups of water. Stir thoroughly then put the heat on medium to bring the milk and rice mixture to a low but visible simmer.

Keep cooking uncovered at the same heat, but make sure to stir frequently and not let the bottom burn. (Just like when making congee, you will need to stir more frequently towards the end).

I generally cook it for 45 minutes to an hour, but more importantly to the desired texture. I like it to be soft and creamy but still have the texture of the rice. You can keep cooking it longer and it will become even more like a pudding.

Once you’ve reached the desired texture, add the maple syrup, ghee, a little bit of cream if using, vanilla, salt and the spices.

Serve warm with or without toppings!

Alicia’s notes…

I usually add at least a tablespoon of both cardamom and cinnamon to the pudding and stir well so it’s evenly distributed. I also sprinkle a bit more on top. For clients who love spice, sometimes I add more and for those who like things less spicy, I use just a touch.

I will often have my clients taste test for their preferred sweetness - I find sweet palates really vary. I tend to keep it less sweet because people enjoy having it for breakfast and because they can always add more maple.

The coconut milk has a sweetness to it, so you may use less maple when you make it with coconut milk.

If they aren’t around to taste test, I usually ask people if they are more of a milk chocolate or dark chocolate fan. I know if they say milk chocolate they tend to like things sweeter :)

If you want to toast up some pinenuts, do so in a pan on low heat and watch them very carefully - they burn super easily. You want them ever so slightly toasted. Raw is also delicious.

Coconut flakes (the bigger kind, not shredded) can be done in the oven on a cookie sheet. Roast at 350 for 8-10 minutes stirring ever couple minutes.

Bananas fried in butter are a delight as a topping, however they don’t keep well in the fridge, so it’s more of a special topping for just the day you are there…

Once I made it with date molasses instead of maple which was also really delicious!

I usually make a lot of rice pudding when I make it because it is easy to do so and freezes well! Make sure to tell your clients this.

I also tell people the best way to reheat it is in a pan. Add a tiny bit of water or milk/cream to the pan first and turn on the heat. Once the milk or water is warm, then add the pudding. This will make it creamy and will help it to not stick to the pan.