Saturday, December 23, 2006

Rice Pudding


rice pudding
Originally uploaded by stu_spivack.

Turkish rice pudding is called “Sutlac” in Turkish. “Sutlac” is derived from the Turkish words “Sutlu As” which means “Meal with Milk. Sutlac or Turkish rice pudding is a traditional dessert from the Ottoman Empire. There are two basic ways to make rice pudding - baking or boiling. The pudding is thickened with wheat starch and sometimes flavored with gum mastic, vanilla, cinnamon. It is generally served cold.

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 lt whole milk
3 tablespoons wheat starch
1 + ¼ cups sugar
100 gr – 4 tablespoons long grain rice
¼ cup cold water
½ teaspoon pounded gum mastic (optional)
1 egg yolk
Cinnamon
Oven proof small bowls


Directions

Wash the rice three or four times, until water runs quite clear.

Heat a medium size nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat. Put the rice into the saucepan, cover it with 3 cups of water. Simmer over medium heat until almost all the water has been absorbed. When the rice is cooked, drain it.

I usually don’t use vanilla and gum mastic. If you desire, add gum mastic pieces and 1 sweetspoon sugar into the mortar. Pound with a pestle.

In a medium size nonstick saucepan, combine milk, pounded gum mastic and drained rice and simmer until the rice is tender. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Put wheat starch into a small bowl, pour ¼ cup water and whisk together until well mixed. Add 2 tablespoons of milk from the saucepan to the starch mixture and continue to whisk.

When the mixture begins to boil, pour gently the wheat starch mixture into the saucepan. Add sugar into the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Pour the rice pudding into small bowls. Dress with a pinch of cinnamon. Place the bowls in a fridge to cool over night and serve it the next day.

The rice pudding is ready. If “baked rice puding” is desired, use oven proof cups. Don’t dress with a pinch of cinnamon before baking process.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoonful rice puding until well mixed. Spoon the egg mixture onto surface at the desired thickness.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400 °F, Gas Mark 6.

Pour rice pudding into oven proof cups, place the bowls in a baking tray, fill half of the baking tray with water.

Bake until the top is browned, this creates a distinctive skin on the surface. Remove from oven and let it cool.

It can be served either warm or cold.

Have a good appetite!

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