Rice Pudding in Greek

Greek rice pudding is one of the delicious recipes that my mother prepared for us when we were kids and now for her grandchildren.

This recipe is not only quick and easy to prepare, but it also tastes great, can be served as a snack or dessert, is nutritional (rich in protein and calcium), and may be altered. It’s not required to include the typical Greek topping of cinnamon and walnuts; you may make your own version by adding a variety of toppings. ENJOY!

Ingredients

Non-lactose milk 1000 g

Rice (arborio, white or basmati) 100 g

1 teaspoon sugar 20 g

Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, passionfruit, walnuts, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and grated dark chocolate are some suggested toppings.

Method
Into a medium-sized to large pot, pour the milk.

Lactose-free milk should be heated in a saucepan until it almost reaches the boiling point. After that, turn the heat down, add the rice, and let it simmer.

Stir in 1 Tbsp of raw sugar to the milk and rice mixture. Once the stew has thickened to your preference and the rice is soft, stir constantly for another 20 minutes. Add extra milk if the mixture is too thick. Continue cooking if the mixture is too runny since it will thicken.

To prevent the milk from burning and the rice pudding from sinking to the bottom, whisk the mixture often.

Remove the cooked rice pudding from the pan.

Serve it warm or cold with your choice of toppings, such as maple syrup, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and passionfruit. For a citrus variation, add some orange or lemon zest while it’s cooking.

Hints
For a stronger cinnamon flavor, add a cinnamon stick to the milk and rice mixture while it cooks and remove it just before serving.
The rice pudding will develop a crust layer on top if it is not served right soon, but you may avoid this by chilling the ingredients straight away. Place the bowl containing the rice pudding into another bowl filled with ice. The mixture should be stirred until chilled. Serve cold right away or store in the refrigerator for later.
When cooking, add some orange or lemon zest for a citrus variation.
This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for three days if you refrigerate it within two hours of cooking.