Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Some foods have comfort written all over them. For me, that would be most rice dishes and more specifically a warm bowl of rice pudding. This past weekend I made a large batch of rice pudding that is the perfect food to eat when coming in from the chilly winter air. Not only does it warm you up right away, but this version tastes like magic! Instead of sticking to a traditional English recipe, I have combined three cultures' flavors into one absolutely outstanding dish.

English rice pudding is often flavored with vanilla. I love vanilla so I kept that. Indian rice pudding, otherwise known as kheer has beautiful aromas that can be found in chai masala: cinnamon, cardamom and sometimes rose. Mexican rice pudding, also known as arroz con leche, sometimes has a delicate citrus infusion that I just could not say no to. And so a multicultural rice pudding that combines three different country's flavors is born!

Rice pudding takes quite a while to cook, so it is best to make a large batch and eat it or serve it as you need. As a bonus, the longer the rice sits, the more flavorful it becomes, so eating rice pudding on day two, or three is often times more enjoyable!

For 10 servings

1 cup basmati (or arborio) rice

1/4 cup sultana raisins

2 cups coconut or almond milk

2 cups water

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon rose water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cinnamon stick

zest of 1 lemon

Method:

In a large soup pot, add coconut milk and water and simmer. Add rice and continue to simmer over low heat until rice is soft (20 - 30 minutes) Add remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for at least 5 minutes. You may serve this either hot or cold. Garnish with crushed pistachio's rose petals or syrup.

Image from Flickr.com

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