Microwave Rice Pudding

As you probably read in my post yesterday my daughter is visiting for the weekend. She will return to college today afternoon. I keep asking her what she wants to eat as the dorm food is not great. The first time she visited she was full of demands. She missed the home cooked food so much! This time around she has gotten used to dorm life, a good thing, so does not have much on her wish list. There was some rice left over after dinner and she loved the idea of pudding for breakfast. So this morning I made her some creamy rice pudding and she enjoyed it very much.

I do not buy white rice so any left over rice in the house is brown/wild/mixed etc. I made the rice pudding with leftover brown rice and she enjoyed it very much. Rice pudding is generally baked or made over the stove top. This is my microwave version. It helps if you know the power level in your microwave where the milk simmers but never comes to a boil. In my microwave it is P20. If you do not know the power level you can reduce the power to P50 and watch the bowl like a hawk to keep the milk from overflowing. Reduce or increase the power as needed until you can let it go for 2 minutes at a time without have to stir or have the milk overflow.

The proportions are approximate. If you like the pudding runny use more milk, if you like it thick and creamy use less. I made it thick and creamy the way my daughter likes it.

You will need
3/4 cup cooked rice
1 pinch nutmeg powder
1 tbsp. cane sugar, you can use brown or granulated (adjust as needed)
1-1/2 cup milk (adjust as needed)
10-12 raisins
1 pinch cardamom powder

In a microwave safe mug or bowl add the cooked rice, nutmeg and sugar. Add just enough milk to cover the rice completely. Place in the microwave and on reduced power cook for 2 minutes. Stir and cook again for 2 minutes. The reduced power should keep the milk simmering but not let it overflow. Continue to cook in 2 minute intervals until the milk thickens and the rice starts blending in. It took me about 16 minutes. Take the bowl out of the microwave and let it sit on the kitchen counter. Mix in the raisins and the cardamom powder.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day two of BM #57 for the theme mug treats. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#57.

Sabudanyachi Lapsi / Sago Kheer

Food is such a basic need and we eat so many different types of foods through out our life. There is food we grew up eating, food we cook in our own homes as adults, food we have tasted in a restaurant, food that entices us with a look at a picture, food we taste on our travels, and so on. And then there is that small collection of recipes that does more than nourish our body, it wraps us in this cocoon of comfort and takes us back to a safe happy place. Today I will present one such recipe.

This is the recipe my mother used to make when I recovered from an illness and had no taste for food. Sabudana lapsi would bring a smile to my face and I would do my best to finish the bowl. The recipe is nothing special but it is comfort food. I rarely make it but today I was thinking of all the recipes I used to love as a child and wondered how many of those I have made for my daughter. And I remembered this. So I made a small bowl full.

You will need
1/4 cup sabudana/sago
1 cup milk
1-2 tbsp. sugar (adjust to taste)

Wash and soak the sabudana in very little water for a couple of hours. Take 2-3 tablespoon of water in a pan and add the soaked sabudana to it. Heat the water and when it is almost gone add the the milk and sugar. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes. Turn off the heat. You can eat it either hot or cold.

Enjoy!




Sending this to the Kid's Delight event hosted this month by Mireille who blogs at Chef Mireille's East West Realm.

This is my entry for week one, day two of BM #52 for the theme Creamy Foods. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.

Sutlac (Turkish Rice Pudding)

Rice pudding or what we call kheer is a pretty simple and quick dessert. What I found interesting about this one is the addition of cornstarch to thicken it. It sets beautifully when refrigerated overnight, thick enough to decorate with nuts and cinnamon over the top.

It is a rich dessert with the use of whole milk or cream so I decided to make it in a very small quantity. My newly acquired glazed earthen pot worked perfectly.

Recipe adapted from here

You will need
1/4 cup rice
1 cup water
3 cups whole milk or cream or use half of each
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp. mastic (edible gum)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder for garnish
chopped nuts for garnish (optional)

In a pan cook the rice with the water. The rice should be soft and moist. Keep aside.
In another pan bring milk to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Add sugar and honey, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.

When the sugar dissolves completely add the rice and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove a fourth of a cup of milk in a small bowl and combine with the corn starch. Add the mixture to the pan and whisk to prevent lumps. Add the mastic. Continue to thicken the pudding for another 20-25 minutes whisking frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Turn off heat and cool completely. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Serve sprinkled with cinnamon and chopped nuts.

Shir Khurma (Sevaiya)

I made this very simple dessert as part of my Pakistani meal. However, sevaiya or what we call kheer is prepared using a similar recipe in a lot of the neighboring states. In Maharashtra we call this sevaiyachi kheer.

I picked this dessert for a reason. It takes me back to my college dorm. I shared a room with two other girls and one of them celebrated Eid at home. Her sister-in-law made the most delicious pot of shir khurma and my roommate brought us pretty good size portions. Unfortunately we had to share it with our rather large circle of friends. As roommates we thought we were entitled to a larger share. We were crazy back then. So we would save a good big portion for us and pretend as if the shir khurma came in a much smaller container than it really did. We would have a light dinner and then share the contents of the smaller container. It would be gone within minutes. When all our friends would leave we opened up the saved portion and ate to our hearts content. Putting this down in words makes it sound so weird but back then it seemed perfectly right. I savored the taste of this dessert recalling all those old memories.

You will need
3 cups milk (whole milk or 50% whole milk and 50% lower fat milk)
1/2 cup cream
2 handfuls vermicelli
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
2 tbsp. pistachios
2 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. dried dates, chopped (I left these out)
2 pods cardamom, shelled and seeds pounded to a powder
1 tbsp. ghee

Soak the nuts in a little milk for 3-4 hours. Drain and keep aside.

Roast the vermicelli in the ghee with the cardamom powder. Cool and keep aside with the nuts and raisins.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil. Lower heat and add the vermicelli and nuts. Let it simmer until the vermicelli softened and the sevaiya thicken to the desired consistency.

Turn off heat.

Shir khurma can be served hot or cold.

Mahalabia

Rich milk based dessert garnished with nuts. The original recipe called for flavoring with rose water but I used mint extract that I had on hand.

Mahalabia is an Arabic dessert and is popular in all countries that have Arabic influence on their cuisine. It is a very basic dessert. I adapted the recipe from here one of the few that had proportions for the ingredients.

You will need
2 cups of half and half
4 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. corn starch
1-2 drops rose water (I used mint extract)
5-6 pistachios for garnish

Dissolve the corn starch in the milk. In a thick bottomed pan combine the half and half and sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and add the corn starch mixture. Whisk to prevent lumps. Cook until thickened. Add rose water and take it off heat. Let it cool a little then pour into ramekins or serving glasses and refrigerate for a couple hours. Garnish with nuts. Serve chilled.

Black Rice Pudding

Today I am posting a recipe from Nagaland. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Nagaland is located in north eastern India. Nagaland is a tribal region and most Naga people belong to tribes. Its capital city is Kohima.

The cuisine of Nagaland is mainly non vegetarian. Fish, dry fish or fish sauce is used in almost every recipe that includes vegetables. It was a challenge finding a vegetarian recipe. Rongmei is one of the tribes in Nagaland and I found this Rongmei Naga style recipe here.

Black rice is a sticky glutenous rice available in north eastern India, China and Thailand. Black rice pudding preparation from Thailand is very similar to this recipe except they use coconut milk. Black rice appears purple when it is cooked and is very rich in antioxidants. It has a creamy texture when cooked and is very flavorful.

You will need
1 cup black rice
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp. sugar

Wash the rice, drain the water and keep aside for half an hour. In a pressure cooker pan add 3 cups of water and the rice. Pressure cook with the pressure on for 10 minutes which is equivalent to 3 whistles. Add sugar and adjust according to taste. Warm the milk in a microwave and add it to the rice. Transfer the rice to a pan and simmer on medium heat until the liquid thickens.

Turn off heat and let it cool.

 

Enjoy!

Madhurjan Thongba (Sweet Besan Dumpling in Milk)

Today I am posting a recipe from Manipur. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Manipur is one of the states in North Eastern India. For the longest time these states had very little exposure in the Indian mainstream. Manipur is known for Manipuri dance, the classical Indian dance style with its delicate movement and grace. But not much else is known about Manipur.

When I was searching for Manipuri recipes I reached out to a Facebook group. I received a response and offer to help. But by the time I got the response I had already found this website. I thought it would be easiest to stick to a dessert as the special ingredients in savory dishes are hard to find. I had leftover oil from frying the jalebi and decided to try Chakao Matum or black rice boondi. It tasted alright but the color of the boondi was off. So I decided to try a different dessert from the same website.

Madhurjan Thonbga is a Manipuri Athoomba or dessert. Sweet besan dumplings are dropped in thickened sweetened milk with some fresh coconut. The besan naturally adds a very unique and pleasant flavor in this sweet dish.

You will need
1 1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp. besan
2 tbsp. fresh shredded coconut (I used frozen)
2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. sugar divided
1 tsp. cardamom powder
1 bay leaf
Oil to deep fry

On a low flame bring the milk to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent formation of cream.

In a bowl mix besan, 2 tsp. sugar and form a thick batter using a little water.

Heat oil in a small pan. Drop a teaspoon full of besan in the hot oil. Add a few more or as much as room permits. Brown both sides and drain on a paper towel. Keep aside.

When the milk boils add the bay leaf and 2 tbsp. sugar. Continue to simmer for a couple more minutes. Add the drained dumplings to the milk and continue to simmer for another few minutes.

Add the fresh coconut and cardamom powder. Turn off heat.

Serve hot or cold.

Parippu Payasam (Mung Dal Payasam)

Today I am posting a recipe from Kerala. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

I have very fond memories of this payasam. The neighborhood where I grew up was very diverse. There were families from all over India. There was one family from Kerala. Every Onam three bowls of delicacies would be hand delivered to our house. The one I waited for most was this payasam. It is Kerala tradition to make it for Onam.

Kerala is small state on the south western coast of India. It has a very literate population as compared to a lot of other states. Onam is a festival celebrated only in Kerala. It is celebrated to honor the life of Mahabali from the story behind the Vamana avatar of the Dashavatar.

I have not had this payasam for a very very long time though I got the recipe from a friend a while back. As it was cooking the kitchen was engulfed in this lovely aroma. What took me by surprise was how that aroma took me back to my childhood. I did not realize I had such a strong association with it. I am so glad I made this payasam. It just made me happy.

You will need
3.5 oz mung dal
5 oz jaggery
3/4 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup light coconut milk
3 tbsp. ghee, divided
a few cashews and raisins

If you are not using fresh coconut you can use a can of coconut milk. I used Goya light coconut milk. Dilute the milk by half to produce the light milk. Use at full strength for the thick milk. Dry roast the mung dal in a pan until it is crispy and turns darker in color.

Transfer to a pressure cooker and cook with 1 cup water. The dal should be cooked but should not be mushy. While the dal cooks add jaggery and a cup of water to a bowl. Let the jaggery dissolve completely in the water. In 1 tbsp. of oil fry the cashews and the raisins. Drain on a paper towel and keep aside.

Once the dal is cooked transfer it back to the pan and add to it 2 tbsp. ghee, the jaggery solution and the light milk. Bring it to a boil. Let it simmer stirring occasionally until the quantity is reduced by half.

Now add the thick milk and let it assimilate completely in the solution.

Let the mixture cook on low heat for another 5-8 minutes. Stir infrequently.

Turn off heat. Add the cashews and raisins and serve.

Makhana Kheer

Today I am posting a recipe from Bihar. Everyday this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Bihar is located in the north of India sandwiched between Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Bihar from my memory was a coal rich area. Most of the coal reserves are now in Jharkhand, the state that was carved out of Bihar.

Bihar is also known for an original art style called Madhubani. The origin of Madhubani paintings is not known. Women in the Madhubani region, near Mithila, in northern Bihar have been painting on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of their homes for centuries. The art is passed on from mother to daughter. This art style has seen a major revival in recent years. Today these paintings can be found on cloth, handmade paper and canvas too. The picture below is a sample from a children's folk art class I once taught. This piece was done by one of my students.

When I think of Bihar and food I think of Lithi. Accordingly I made lithi and we all enjoyed it very much. But then I thought I should try something different. A friend suggested makhana kheer. Phool Makhana or fox nut comes from the lotus plant. Makhana is commonly used in Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. The Darbhanga region of Bihar is where makhana kheer originated. This region is also the largest producer of Makhana.

I had never heard of makhana until I got married. It was something I first tasted as a new bride. My husband's family is from Madhya Pradesh and makhana is very popular there. My mother-in-law is from Maharashtra and knew I would have no idea what makhana was. Everybody was making a big deal about it and I have to say when I got my first taste of a roasted makhana it was a big let down. It is pretty bland compared to all the seeds and nuts we normally eat. But this kheer is anything but bland. It has a lovely flavor even if you use low fat milk especially if you thicken it with ground roasted makhana.

I had seen makhana at the local Indian store and realized I would have to buy the big bag of makhana. I needed less than half the bag for the kheer but I bought it anyways. My husband roasted and finished the rest.

You will need
2 cups makhana
5 cups milk (I used 1% milk)
1/4 cup sugar
a few each of almonds, cashews and pistachios
a few raisins
2 pods cardamom
2-3 strings saffron

I used 1% milk. You can use any fat content that you have on hand. Bring the milk to a boil in a pan stirring frequently to prevent cream from forming.

Meanwhile, roast the almonds, cashews and pistachios on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven. Chop the roasted nuts lengthwise and keep aside. Shell the cardamom pods and pound the seeds to a powder with a mortar and pestle. Clean the makhana and roast them in the same pan. The makhana get crunchy when roasted.

Take off heat and let them cool. Grind half the makhana to a coarse powder.

Continue to heat the milk for about 5-10 more minutes on medium heat. Add the sugar, whole makhana as well as the powder to the milk. Mix well. The milk will thicken. Ensure there are no lumps. Add the chopped nuts, raisins, saffron and cardamom powder to the milk. Heat for another 5 minutes and turn off heat. You can serve the kheer warm or chilled.

Enjoy!

Lemon Posset

Lemon Posset is a medieval cream based dessert. It has a strong lemon flavor and a smooth creamy texture. Letting it sit in the refrigerator really brings out the lemon flavor. The candied lemon peel garnish enhances the taste.

This is my third recipe from the 'How to make a perfect...' series that runs in the Guardian Newspaper. I served this dessert after a meal of black bean burger and salsa. The recipe can be found here.

According to the linked post the recipe as written produces a grainy texture. The recipe calls for the cream mixture to be added to the lemon and not the other way around which may cause the grainy texture. As I read through the comments on the post I found a recipe posted in one of the comments that produces the expected smooth texture. The trick is to boil the cream for exactly three minutes and add the lemon to it. That is the recipe I followed and the texture was amazingly smooth.

You will need
half pint whipping cream
50 gm sugar
1 lemon
candied lemon peel for garnish (recipe here)

Bring whipping cream and the sugar together to a boil in a pan. Mark a timer for 3 minutes and whisk the mixture on medium high heat for the entire 3 minute duration. When the timer goes off take the mixture off the heat. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.

To this warm mixture add the juice of a little over half a lemon and stir. Taste and add more if needed. The mixture should thicken but not curdle. Pour it into molds and allow it to cool completely. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours.

Serve chilled garnished with candies lemon peel.

This is my entry for week one, day three of BM #38 for the theme How to make the perfect... Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#38.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Blueberry sauce

Everybody loves Panna Cotta especially this vanilla flavored version served with fresh blueberry sauce. This is for week five of the 2014 52 week challenge for the theme Vanilla.

You will need
For the panna cotta
2 cups half and half
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 packet gelatin
3 tbsp. cold water

For the sauce
1 packet fresh blueberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

To make the panna cotta heat the whipping cream and half and half in a pan until just boiling. Turn off heat. Take cold water in a small bowl and add the gelatin to it. Let it stand for 5 minutes and then add it to the heated milk. Stir until the gelatin dissolves completely.

Pour into desired cups, ramekins or glasses and chill for a few hours or overnight.

To make the sauce heat the water and sugar in a saucepan. When the sugar melts and the water is boiling add half the blueberries. Let it simmer for a few minutes and turn off heat. Let it cool then run it through a blender. Chill for at least an hour. Drizzle over the panna cotta to serve.