Spiced Rice Pudding + Cherry Chai Jam

This recipe by Samantha Hillman is one of many found in the Potluck Carry-in recipe collection.

Potluck-Carry-in is an on-going recipe book made to raise money to support meal assistance programs for food insecure families in New York City. The book is lovingly put together with recipes donated by NYC chefs and illustrated by local artists.

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Ingredients

Rice Pudding:
- 4 1/2 cups milk (whole)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean
- 5 cardamom pods, crushed
- 2 strips of lemon peel / zest

- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 Tbs butter
- 1/3 c brown sugar + 2tbs honey

Toppings:
- Cherry Chai Jam
-Pistachio ice cream

Directions

Make Rice Pudding:
- In a saucepan, heat the milk, cardamom pods, vanilla bean (+ vanilla seeds), lemon zest & cinnamon stick. Just before milk begins to boil take it off heat. Let cool then move to the refrigerator to infuse overnight, but if you can’t wait just give it a few hours.

-Warm the (delicious! infused!) milk in a saucepan over low heat.

-In another, larger, saucepan, melt the butter. Add the rice, and toss to coat the grains.

- Ladle in enough milk to cover the rice and stir over very low (LOW) heat, because burnt milk is nobody’s mate. The rice will start absorbing the milk. When the milk is almost totally absorbed, add a little more milk, let that absorb, add a little more milk, and so on, and so on until all the milk is gone.

-After a few ladles add the brown sugar & honey. Throw in a few pinches of salt to taste along the way. Continue to stir until the rice is tender. The milk will be creamy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add a little extra milk if its too thick.

-Taste it. Is it sweet enough? Saucy enough? Salted enough? Now’s the time to adjust all that.

To Serve:

-You can serve the pudding warm or cold. Top with Cherry Chai Jam to taste & pistachio ice cream if you please. Add something crunchy if you like (i.e. granola?) — The pudding is even better the next day! —

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*Recipe & Images by Samantha Hillman*

**Illustration (below) by Katharine Sison**

*** This recipe is an adaptation of one of many in the Potluck Carry-in recipe collection. Potluck Carry-in is an on-going recipe book made to raise money to support meal assistance programs for food insecure families in New York City. ***