Chai Rice Pudding

  • 6

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) plus 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
  • 1 cup (240ml) canned coconut milk (shake, then pour)
  • 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • Pinch of natural salt
  • 3 cups (450g) cooked short-grain brown rice (soft but not mushy)
  • 1/4 cup (45g) raisins
  • 1 cup (240ml) unsweetened almond milk (strained if homemade)
  • 1/3 cup (40g) chopped raw pistachios

Preparation

Step 1



1 In a saucepan over high heat, bring the 1/4 cup (60ml) of maple syrup and the water to a boil (this should take less than a minute). As soon as the mixture bubbles, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the apples. Cook the apples for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they caramelize lightly and soften slightly but remain mostly firm.

2 While the apples are cooking, put the coconut milk, the remaining 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, the vanilla, ginger, spices, and salt into your blender and blast on medium-high for about 10 seconds, until combined. Add 1 1/2 cups (225g) of the rice and process on medium-low for a few seconds, until creamy but rustic. (If you’re using a high-speed blender, be careful of overdoing it; you don’t want a completely smooth blend here, and it can happen quickly. The pudding will be goopy if you overblend. If you’re using a conventional blender, your machine will let you know when the mixture is ready; it’ll thicken and be difficult to blend.) Add the blended mixture and the raisins to the cooked apples and stir to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup (120ml) of the almond milk and the remaining 1 1/2 cups (225g) of cooked rice. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup (120ml) of almond milk and simmer for 5 minutes more, until you have your desired consistency

3 (I take my rice pudding off the heat as soon as the liquid has been absorbed). Tweak the maple syrup to taste.

4 Serve warm, at room temperature, or even chilled; add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup (60ml) milk if you serve it chilled, to soften it up. Sprinkle pistachios on each serving.

Source: Excerpt from The Blender Girl by Tess Masters.