Ingredients
|
Quantity
|
Milk
|
4 cups
|
Basmati rice
|
2 tbsp
|
Carrots – peeled and minced
|
1 pound
|
Sugar
|
1/3 cup
|
Blanched almonds or pistachios – chopped
|
¼ cup
|
Ground cardamom
|
¼ tsp
|
Heavy cream or coconut milk
|
¼ tsp
|
Rose water
|
1 tsp
|
Silver and / or golden leaf
|
to garnish
|
In a heavy saucepan, place the milk over medium high heat, and
bring to a boil. Sprinkle the rice into the boiling milk, stirring constantly
for several minutes to keep the rice from settling on the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the rice at a gentle boil until the milk
is reduced by half and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent
a skin from forming on the surface of the milk.
Stir the carrots into the milk-rice mixture and continue cooking
until the carrots are tender and the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce, about
15 minutes; stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom.
Stir the sugar, about two-thirds of the almonds or pistachios, and
the cardamom into the pudding and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture
begins to stick to the pan bottom, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat,
spoon into a bowl, and let cool to room temperature.
Stir ¼ cup of the cream or coconut milk and the rosewater into the
pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and chill for at
least 3 hours.
Shortly before serving, remove from the refrigerator and check
consistency; it should be a bit thinner than traditional rice pudding. If it
seems too thick, stir in a little more cream or coconut milk. Spoon into
individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining almonds or pistachios and the
silver and/or gold leaf (if used).
NOTES: "In India, puddings like this
are adorned for special occasions with slivers of tissue thin silver leaf or
gold leaf. These inert metals are edible and may be purchased at art-supply stores
and some fancy-food shops."