December 05, 2005

Creamy goodness #2 (Cardamom Rose Rice Pudding)

Last night we had a few friends over for vegetarian Indian food. I did most of the cooking ahead on Saturday, which meant that I only had a few tasks on Sunday and could enjoy my guests' company. The main menu consisted of old favourites: Bengali Dal, Saag Paneer, Aloo Gobi, and Channa Masala, accompanied by a carrot and chile salad dressed with lime juice, and a banana raita that is based on a pachadi recipe from the outstanding Seductions of Rice. The banana raita is fast becoming a must-have dish when we make Indian food at home.



Dessert was also from Seductions of Rice - a rice pudding flavoured with cardamom and rose water. It is creamy and light-tasting, despite being made with whole milk. I topped it with pistachios, as suggested, not knowing that one of my guests was in the process of developing a nut intolerance. Not an allergy, thank heavens, so he was able to simply remove them from his portion. The original recipe called for twice as much sugar as I used, but I loved the balance of sugar to rosewater and spice, so I don't think I'd increase it.

Cardamom Rose Rice Pudding
Adapted from Seductions of Rice

1 cup short grain rice, rinsed and drained (I used arborio)
4 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
pistachios and extra cardamom to garnish

Place the rice, milk, and water in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring, and back the heat off to a bare simmer. Cook and stir frequently for about one and a quarter hours. The rice may develop a bit of a skin, but just stir it back into the pot and it will be fine. When the rice is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed but still a bit soupy, add the sugar, rose water and cardamom powder. Stir in thoroughly until sugar dissolves, and remove from the heat. Transfer rice to a serving bowl or individual serving dishes, and allow to cool. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, until needed. To garnish, give each portion a "hit" of cardamom powder and top with a few lightly toasted pistachio nuts.

Serves 6

8 comments:

Dawna said...

Thanks for the compliments, Meena - and for the link, too. I'll definitely check out your "From my Rasoi" event.

sailu said...

first time commenting here..awesome food.The pudding is called annam payasam in andhra(india)..
Nice pictures too..:)

Dawna said...

Thanks, Sailu, I'm glad you stopped by. I noticed that your blog has a lot on Indian and herbal medicine, as well as cooking - I'm looking forward to reading through it.

Ana said...

Can't wait to try this recipe. I love the rice pudding when I go to the Indian food buffet and I hope this recipe tastes like the one I've tasted in the restaurants.

Dawna said...

Ana, this version is less sweet than the ones you'll find in most restaurants. The original recipe calls for a cup of sugar, with "more to taste" so you might want to consider adding the original amount of sugar if you want a more authentic taste. Do let me know if you try it!

Anonymous said...

That sure is a show stopper dawna, I just can't wait to try this out soon!

Anonymous said...

Hi Dawna--Where do you buy the rose water?

Dawna said...

Hi Lisa,

I get rosewater in specialty shops - usually middle-eastern food importers, gourmet shops, and in any South Asian shop in our "Little India" neighbourhood (where they also have rose cola, which isn't really a cola, but is vvvvvery tasty, and you can make your own by adding rose water to gingerale).