Guest Author - Anita Burroughs

Rice pudding is one of the best comfort foods on the planet. This recipe combines a familiar rice pudding with some interesting spices, and a wonderful banana flavor. It’s a great dessert (or breakfast dish) that adults and children will love.

Here is the recipe:

1 cup long-grain basmati rice (most supermarkets have this in either the Asian food section, or with the other rice products)
1/2 cup shelled natural pistachios
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 bananas, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Optional garnish: ½ cup shelled pistachios
First, soak the basmati rice in a bowl with cold water for about 30 minutes, making sure it is well covered. Then, drain it in a fine sieve, and rinse with cold water. Drain the rice well.
Blanch the pistachios in boiling water for about three minutes; then rinse them in cold water, and give them a pat with a towel to dry them off. If they have skins on them, try to rub some of these off. Then, chop the pistachios coarsely.
Now, melt the butter in a pan over low heat, and add the cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Stir for about a minute. Then, add the rice, milk, cream and cook on low heat in an uncovered pan. Stir once in a while until the rice is tender about 20 minutes.
Cool the pudding for a bit; you may need to overcome the urge to eat it immediately! Cool the pudding and put it in individual serving dishes, or in a large serving dish.. Stir in the pistachios and bananas. Chill pudding the pudding until it is cold, about 4 hours. The pudding should keep for about two days.
Garnish pudding with pistachios to add color and texture.. You can also add a dollop of whipped cream if you like. This recipe will serve six people.

For those of you who enjoy learning about the origins of food, rice pudding goes back to ancient times, and is enjoyed by cultures all over the world. Rice pudding was often used for medicinal purposes, as it has been associated with easy digestion. It was thought to be a good dish for people with stomach ailments. Tapioca, rice pudding’s cousin, was often prescribed for the same reason.
There are wonderful rice puddings served all over the world. Asian rice pudding is frequently made with coconut milk; there are also versions from East Asia which use black rice. Rice pudding hailing from India (Kheer) is often made with pistachios, cardamom and rosewater. I have had Indian rice pudding in many restaurants, and the rice pudding has a wonderful creamy quality, often with significantly much more liquid than other versions. A Middle Eastern version of rice pudding is Roz Bel Saban, made with orange blossom water and cinnamon. Arroz con Leche is served in Spain and Latin America, while Milchreis from Germany is prepared with cinnamon and cherries.
I promise to present some of these rice puddings from other parts of the globe in the near future.