coconut cardamom arborio rice pudding.

This scrumptious spin on my favourite rice pudding is like a warm bowl of coconut cream pie. It is absolutely delicious, completely satisfying, toothsome comfort food.

Who doesn’t like pudding?

You can go ahead and use your favourite non-dairy milk , however making it with unsweetened almond milk makes this incredibly rich, complex flavoured dessert downright lo-cal. That means you can have extra, right?

Coconut Cardamom Arborio Rice Pudding
Serves 2

1/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut*
2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or your favourite non-dairy milk)
1 – 2 Tbsp sugar (depending on how sweet you like it – I’ve tried it both ways)
1/4 vanilla bean, split (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
Pinch of cardamom (my 1/4 tsp measure was about 1/3 full)

*Note: If your shredded coconut is coarse or tough (and you prefer a softer pudding overall) try putting it through the food processor, blender, or spice grinder to achieve a finer texture. Alternatively, you can soften up tough coconut by soaking it in advance (as you would soak raw nuts in preparation to make nut milks) – this should soften the coconut significantly.

In a large saucepan, place all the ingredients (except extract, if using). Bring to a gentle boil and turn down immediately. Allow to simmer gently, stirring often (or it will stick to the bottom) for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on how thick you like it. A silicone spatula makes an excellent stirring tool, allowing you to easily scrape the pudding down the sides and off the bottom of the pan. The rice should be soft and significantly plumped up. Check it often towards the end of cooking to ensure it does not get overdone or burn.

Once it’s cooked to your liking, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Serve immediately in the cutest bowl you can find, if you like it hot – otherwise let it chill in the fridge and enjoy later. It can also be reheated. Enjoy.

I’ve made this pudding a few times now and I LOVE it. It’s perfect for breakfast on days when I’m not in the hugest rush and it so so tasty. I like the added shredded coconut a lot and wouldn’t describe it as sandy…I think that’s the whole point! If someone has very petrified coconut and they don’t like that sort of thing, I’d say give it a whirl in a spice grinder or good blender to make it finer before using. LOVE the cardamom too. Warm, spicy goodness.

Reply

September 7, 2009 at 12:37 am

madcap cupcake

(edit)

Hi CocoLoco! That’s a great suggestion (pulverizing the coconut in a blender if it is tough). Another option for those who prefer a softer texture – if you think your coconut is on the harder/ tougher side, try soaking it first, as you would soak raw nuts in preparation to make nut milks. That should soften the coconut significantly. Another option is to make the pudding without the coconut, and then sprinkle it on top. I am going to amend the instructions to reflect these options too – thanks for the input!