Creamy and dreamy, this is comfort food. Try to discover with me the simple joy of Rice Puddings prepared 3 different ways: Egyptian, Chinese & Indian style! Try them all and leave comment below on which one is your favorite.
Did I ever mention that I love to travel around the world from my very own kitchen.
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If you love food just like I do, eating with adventure must be your thing too. Eating not the same food day in and day out is something that I practice in my household.
This year my children are attending a new school, called Lowcountry Montessori. And all new things came with this school, including an international day event. Children from the entire school have been learning about the countries Africa and Asia and each class was assigned a specific country to study. What a fun way to learn about the world, isn't it? My kids were so excited about this project and kept talking about it for whole month prior to the event.
My oldest son Thomas learned about Egypt, Johnny about China and my baby girl about India.
This short video describes Matron's class room. It's all about India.
This short video you are going to enjoy from my 1st grader son Johnny, and its all about China.
This is how my idea of making rice pudding 3 different ways was born.
What to like about Rice Puddings (Egyptian, Chinese & Indian style)
Rice pudding is an easy dessert. It is irresistible and timeless. Internationally recognizable for each country has its own version that easily blends creamy textures with sweet warm spices, and is versatile enough to be enjoyed warm or chilled to your own preference.
Naturally Gluten free!
Nut, dairy free or not it's up to you!
Add dried fruit!
Add egg yolks for more glorious texture!
Spice up the way you like!
Can be served warm or cold!
Can be modified up to your own preference and be made super simple with just 3 components (RICE, MILK & SWEETENER) or as fancy as your imagination can go using various spices such as saffron. Also you can vary the taste by using pistachio milk, coconut milk, or even egg yolks can be added to create a thick glorious consistency.
I kept each pudding very simple since I was making it for school and any food is required to be nut free, plus I left out eggs since many kids are allergic.
Rice pudding is a humble treat, simple to make with just a few pantry staples, perfect for a quick, satisfying treat.
The ultra creamy consistency provides a soothing, comforting texture.
It’s a versatile dessert, perfect as a warm winter treat or a cool summer dessert.
What do I need to make Rice Pudding (Egyptian, Chinese & Indian style)?
Yes, rice is the star of the dish.
What kind of rice should I use for these recipes?
There's only one rule you must follow when making rice pudding: to get just the right result, you must use short grain rice. Such as arborio rice that we usually use for risotto, or Valencia rice (also called Bomba rice, commonly used for paella.
Long grain rice simply isn't an option because it won't give you the right texture. In this recipe I used nice starchy short grain rice called Nishiki rice.
Spices: what kind should I use for these recipes?
Have I ever told you that I'm a big lover of spices, Spices are Essential in Cooking and I'm a true believer that spices are so good for our health. Spices can bring more joy to the most boring meal and increase nutritional value.
In these 3 recipes I used different kinds of spices, so feel free to use your own combination of spices.
For the Egyptian style, I used mastic, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and rose water. Each one is a beautiful addition creating a complexity of flavors.
For the Chinese style I used cinnamon, salt, coconut sugar and toasted coconut. I kept it simple, but feel free to use vanilla instead.
And for the Indian style I used rose water (FYI... orange water would be nice too I forgot to add it), salt, cinnamon, orange zest, saffron and cardamom.
What kind of milk should I use for these recipes?
To make creamy dreamy rice pudding, we need milk or cream and sometimes a combination of both.
For the Egyptian style rice pudding I used homemade oat milk that already had a bit of vanilla flavor and included a sweetener such as maple syrup. Since I made these dishes for school avoiding nuts was my goal so I avoided using any nut milk. For the Chinese style rice pudding I used coconut milk which nicely gives a creaminess and highlights the coconut flavor. And for the last one, Indian style rice pudding, I used regular milk and cream to achieve a perfect creaminess.
A Few words about Mastic
Since I never used in my channel yet, I want to stop for a second and explain:
What is it and why do you want to use it?
First of all it's absolutely optional, no need to incorporate it if you are looking for just comfy delicious pudding. However, if you are a flavor snob like I am, and are looking to create a truly authentic recipe please consider spending an extra few dollars on this spice. It's worth every penny.
This spice is so unique and the flavor is not for everyone especially if you are using it by itself. But here, in this recipe, it creates a beautiful harmony with the assortment of the other flavors. Mastic has been used for centuries in traditional medicine due to its numerous health benefits.
Acts as a natural breath freshener (one of the first natural gums).
Helps prevent cavities and gum disease by reducing harmful bacteria.
Helpful for people, like me with SIBO.
Helps with indigestion, bloating, and acid reflux.
Has antibacterial properties that may help fight Helicobacter pylori.
So if you are like me and consider yourself a spice lover, check out this link: Spices are Essential in Cooking. Be sure to use this GOOD for you natural antibacterial spice, Mastic, from the Middle East.
Let's make these recipes ... Each one is unique in flavor, each one has a different consistency and method of cooking, such as the Egyptian, which is baked. At the same time all 3 puddings are similar so try them all.
Using a Dutch oven for this recipe is my recommendation.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Author: Inna of innichkachef.com
Serves: each pudding can serve 10 people and plus
Ingredients for Egyptian style rice pudding
2 cups short grain rice (I used this kind)
4 cups oat milk (or any milk of your choice, pistachio would be my first choice)
1 cup heavy cream
3-4 pieces of mastic (optional, but I highly recommend)
4-5 pods of cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla (I didn't in the video, because my oat milk contained vanilla flavoring)
1/4 teaspoon pink salt
1/4 cup rose water (optional)
1 cup or more of raw cane sugar up to your taste
Add nuts, raisins, etc. (optional)
Ingredients for Chinese style rice pudding
2 cups short grain rice (I used this kind)
4 cups coconut milk (I used canned coconut milk with a bit of regular milk added, to make up)
4 cups regular milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pink salt
1 cup or more coconut sugar up to your taste
1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut (optional or garnish)
Add nuts, raisins, etc. (optional)
Ingredients for Indian style rice pudding
2 cups short grain rice (I used this kind)
4 cups regular milk (or any milk of your choice)
Zest of one orange
3-4 pods of cardamom
1-2 stars of anise (optional)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
few sprigs of saffron
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pink salt
1/4 cup rose water (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups regular milk
1 cup or more raw cane sugar up to your taste
Add nuts, raisins, etc. (optional)
Directions
First rinse rice under running water.
Add to the pot. Add liquid. Mix it. For Egyptian style rice pudding add 4 cups of oat milk or milk of your choice. For Chinese style rice pudding add 4 cups of coconut milk. And for Indian style rice pudding add 4 cups of regular milk.
Cook with a covered lid for 10-15 minutes on low heat. Keep an eye on it. Stir once in a while.
Take from the heat. Add the spices, salt and sugar. Stir.
Add final liquid: To the Egyptian style rice pudding add one cup of heavy cream, to the Chinese style rice pudding 4 cups of regular milk and for the Indian one cup of heavy cream and 3 cups regular milk. Stir all together.
Place on the stove and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Covered. Keep an eye on it.
Pour the Egyptian style rice pudding into a prepared baking dish and bake on 350F for 20 minutes uncovered until the top is a nice beautiful brown color. For the Chinese & Indian style rice puddings, keep cooking for another 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave covered to sit for 10-20 minutes. Pour Chinese & Indian style rice puddings into serving dishes, and garnish as you desire.
ENJOY! Eat right away which I love or cool down until room temperature. Some people even prefer it cold. Try each way and leave a comment below as to which way you like to serve it.
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