Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Set aside.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (about 4-quarts), combine the milk and cardamom pods. Heat over medium until you see small bubbles forming around the edges — not quite boiling yet. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Add the rinsed rice to the warm milk. Stir well so nothing sticks to the bottom. Leave uncovered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. The rice will start to soften and the liquid will reduce noticeably.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Add sugar and salt, then stir frequently — every minute or two as it cooks. Watch carefully; this is where things can scorch if you walk away too long. Cook for about 25 minutes until the rice is tender and the mixture has thickened considerably. It should coat the back of a spoon when you lift it out.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the cream and vanilla extract. The pudding will be quite loose at this point but will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Serve warm or chilled. If serving warm, let it rest for 10 minutes so the flavors meld together.
Nutrition
Notes
I keep it for weekend breakfasts when I want something sweet but not too heavy. The trick I've found is letting the rice cook uncovered at first so some of the liquid evaporates before the cream comes in; otherwise you end up with something closer to soup than pudding. A pinch of salt goes a long way, even though no one really tastes it on its own — it just makes everything else sing.
It thickens as it cools, which means you can make this ahead and pull it from the fridge when guests arrive. I usually serve it warm with a drizzle of honey and some crushed pistachios scattered on top, but cold works beautifully too.