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!

Chocolate Crepe

Dessert Crepe is not a traditional dish in Turkey, but I like chocolate crepe. “Gozleme” is called "Turkish Crepe". Gozleme may resembles the French crepes filled with vegetables or ground meat. In Turkey, favorite gozlemes are filled with cheese, spinach, ground meat or potato. I don’t know any kind of sweet Turkish gozleme.
Gozleme is usually cooked on a very big upside down Chinese Wok, it is called “sac” in Turkey. Once I have tried in the frying pan but the taste was not the same. My mother helps me when I cooking gozleme on the "sac".

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 egg
1 dessert spoon sugar
1/2 cup milk (cold)
1/2 tablespoon cacao powder
6 tablespoons oil (45 gr.)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon cooking oil
2,5 tablespoons or ½ cup flour
1/4 cup finely ground or finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup honey
2 bananas (peeled)

Chocolate Sauce

3 tablespoons milk
80 gr milk chocolate
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 tablespoon water
¼ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 liter water

*
Sweetened coconut flakes, powdered sugar or finely ground pistachio (optional)

Directions

Beat egg and sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour cold milk into the bowl and whisk together. Gradually sieve cacao powder into the bowl and whisk vigorously. Pour oil and gradually sieve flour, whisk until a smooth batter forms. A blender may also be used.

Warm a small crepe pan over low heat and add butter or 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Heat the butter over medium heat until foam subsides.

Pour half of the batter into the pan, then tilt the pan and rotate it in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly over the surface (a thin layer). Cook the crepe until lightly browned. When the edges of the batter start to look dry, flip the crepe over and cook the other side. Slide the crepe onto a plate.

Spoon half of the honey over the crepe and sprinkle half of the walnuts. Place the banana on the edge of crepe and roll up. To serve, place roll- up seam side down on a serving platter and pour chocolate sauce over it. You may sprinkle sweetened coconut flakes, powdered sugar or finely ground pistachio on top. Repeat this process with other half of the remaining batter.

For chocolate sauce melt the chocolate using bain-marie technique. Pour 1 lt. of water into a medium sized sauce pan. Bring water to a boil. Break chocolate into small pieces. Add 1 tablespoon water into a small sized sauce pan or a porcelain bowl. Put the chocolate pieces in and add cacao powder. Place the small sized sauce pan into the medium one containing boiling water. Allow chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. When melted gently add the milk and stir until well combined. Add butter and stir to melt. Remove the pan from the heat.

Have a good appetite!

Turkish Delight

Lokumm..
Originally uploaded by sacidu.

Have you ever tasted Turkish delight? I like the taste of it. When I drink sugarless Turkish coffee, I usually want something with it, a Turkish bitter almond cookie, an almond paste, a cezerye or a Turkish delight. Turkish coffee is different, but once you are used to drink it with a Turkish delight it is a marriage made in heaven.

Turkish delight is a confection made from sugar, corn starch, cream of tartar, natural/artificial colors, natural/artificial flavors (especially rose flavor, lemon, orange, mint flavored). Turkish delights are usually filled with nuts (pistachio, almond, hazelnut or walnut), sweetened coconut flakes and vanilla. They are dusted with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

Thank you God for Turkish Delight :)