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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
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8 comments:

  1. Dawna6 December 2005 at 21:01

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

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  2. sailu7 December 2005 at 06:37

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

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  3. Dawna7 December 2005 at 08:18

    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.

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  4. Ana7 December 2005 at 13:46

    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.

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  5. Dawna7 December 2005 at 14:55

    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!

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  6. Anonymous8 December 2005 at 01:20

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

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  7. Anonymous17 December 2005 at 10:33

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

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  8. Dawna17 December 2005 at 11:56

    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).

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