Rice Pudding

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Inspired by The Turkish Cookbook by Nevin Halici

I absolutely love rice pudding, even more so without the use of eggs. The dessert evokes a number of childhood memories, primarily how my mother added rose water syrup to garnish it. Because of this, I was interested in trying the recipe from The Turkish Cookbook. In the original, Halici’s recipe is manly done without eggs, but she suggested adding them to make the pudding creamy. I appreciated Halici’s introduction to this recipe because she shares the culinary history of the dessert. Traditionally, Anatolians marked the first day of summer with a celebration where individuals wore white and ate white foods, including rice pudding. The history behind the recipe and method of preparing it were so delightful that I was inspired to recreate my preferred version of the dessert. If you are vegan, I suggest substituting the whole milk for coconut milk— a delicious alternative.

Rice Pudding| Sütlaç

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces short grain rice

• 1 3/4 pints whole milk

• pinch of salt

• 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon rice flour

• 1 tablespoon whole milk

Yields: serving for 6

Prep Time: 1 day in advance

Cook Time: 40-50 minutes

Method:

1. Soak the rice for 8 hours in a bowl covered with cold water. When ready to use, wash the rice until water runs clear.

2. In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, but be careful to not scold it.

3. Add the rice and sprinkle with salt.

4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then quickly lower the heat and allow mixture to simmer for 30-40 minutes.

5. Once the rice is tender, add 1/3 cup of sugar and stir. Wait 2 minutes, then add another 1/3 cup. Continue until all the sugar is well incorporated.

6. In a small bowl, combine the rice flour with 1 tablespoon of milk.

7. Mix until until you have a thick paste and add it to the rice pudding.

8. Pour into individual bowls and top with pistachio nuts.

Find the original recipe here: