Foodie Friday: Coconut Rice Pudding

I’m a fool for rice pudding, which is something I never really thought I would say. As a kid, I always thought tapioca pudding was disgusting mostly due to its texture. Someone might have told me that it contained a bunch of floating fish eyes; one way or another, I got that idea in my head.

During grad school last year, however, I changed my tune. A rice pudding shop on the edge of campus quickly became my favorite post-class indulgence. With flavors like chocolate-cherry, chocolate-mint, and toffee, I really had no chance of not falling in love.

I’d never tried to make rice pudding on my own until today. For some reason, I had it in my head that making it would be too difficult, and probably too time-consuming. When I stumbled upon a six-ingredient version involving coconut milk, I decided to finally give it a try. (Coconut is also one of my favorite flavors and I really don’t understand why anyone would not like it.)

One thing to know about rice pudding before making it yourself: it does take a good amount of time to make. I’m glad I didn’t try making it last night after dinner; it wouldn’t have been ready before I was ready to go to bed. My suggestion is to wait for a lazy morning or afternoon during which you can keep an eye on the stove while killing time with a book or tv show.

Coconut Milk Rice Pudding
Adapted from Cook Republic’s recipe
Makes 2 large portions (about 3.5 cups total)

Ingredients

• 1 400 ml can of coconut milk
• 3/4 cup jasmine rice
• 1 cup water, plus more as needed
• 1/2 cup sugar or honey
• 1.5 Tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a medium-size pot. Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring almost constantly.
2. Reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered until rice is fully cooked, stirring occasionally. This should take about an hour. Add 1/2 cup of water at a time if the liquid is all absorbed before the rice is fully cooked, stirring it in. (I had to add about 1 cup of water during this stage.)
3. Serve warm or cold.
4. Top with something tangy, such as fruit or fruit preserves. I used lingonberry preserves, which added a perfect tartness to the creamy pudding. For a special treat, stir in in 1/4 cup of whipped cream.