For some reason I had a craving for rice pudding. It’s probably because every day reveals another disaster from the conservative government here in Ontario and it’s driving me to seek all the comfort foods. This pudding tastes great warm or cold, and if you are not a big fan of raisins just leave them out. The cashews work double duty by providing creaminess and helping the pudding thicken as it cooks. This makes a lot of pudding, so if you are not feeding a family with four very hungry kids like I am, make a half recipe in a smaller pot.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8-10
– 3 cups water
– 1 1/2 cups white jasmine rice, rinsed
– 3 cups non-dairy milk (I used soy), divided
– 1/3 cup cashews (soaked in water for a few hours if your blender isn’t that strong)
– 1 cup sugar
– 1/8 tsp turmeric
– 1 1/2 cups raisins
– 1/8 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)
– 1 to 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
– 3 tbsp margarine
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
METHOD
1. Get the water boiling in a large pot. Add rice, bring to boiling, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 20 mins. The water should be all absorbed and the rice partially cooked (i.e. soft but still a but chewy).
2. While the rice is cooking, blend together 1 1/2 cups of the non-dairy milk with the cashews until very smooth. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of non-dairy milk, the sugar, and turmeric. Blend until smooth.
3. When the rice is done, add the milk/cashew mixture to the pot and mix well. Bring to bubbling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for about 10 mins, stirring constantly, reducing the heat as needed to keep the pudding from spluttering. The mixture will become very thick, creamy, and consistent, and the rice will complete cooking though still maintain some bite.
4. Add the raisins and cinnamon. Stir in the final 1 1/2 cups of non-dairy milk to return the mixture to a pudding consistency. You can stir more in later as the pudding cools, if needed.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the margarine. Then stir in the vanilla.
6. Cool to desired temperature and serve.