My favorite kinds of breakfasts are ones that also double as dessert. Though commonly eaten as an after dinner treat in Latin America, an extremely talented cook named Nancy makes arroz con leche every morning at the band camp that the doc and I attend every summer. There’s nothing better than a bowl warm, sweet, creamy rice infused with cinnamon and dotted with plump raisins on a foggy, cold morning under the redwoods when you’ve been up dancing til 4 am the night before.
Although I woke up indoors this morning, to a crisp, sunny dawn (ok, it was 10:30), after going to bed at midnight after watching the Colbert Report on Hulu, arroz con leche sounded like just the ticket.
Arroz con Leche with Coconut Milk, Cardamom and Vanilla
Print Recipe / Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup white Jasmine or Basmati rice, rinsed briefly in a strainer
- 3" cinnamon stick
- 5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 14 oz. can coconut milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup water (or additional milk)
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup sugar or sweetener of your choice
- 1/3 cup raisins or currants
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 - 2 minutes. Add the milks, water, vanilla bean pod and scrapings and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the rice is very tender and the liquid has thickened somewhat, 20 - 30 minutes.
- Add the sugar and raisins. Cook 5 - 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your liking. Let stand off the heat for 10 minutes before serving. It will continue to thicken as it sits, so thin with a little milk if you like.
- This rice pudding is best served slightly warm. Store in the fridge for up to several days.
Notes
Nutrition
Arroz con Leche with Coconut Milk, Cardamom and Vanilla
Makes 4 servings
Time: about 1 hour
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup white Jasmine or Basmati rice, rinsed briefly in a strainer
3″ cinnamon stick
5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
14 oz. can coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water (or additional milk)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup sugar or sweetener of your choice
1/3 cup raisins or currants
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 – 2 minutes. Add the milks, water, vanilla bean pod and scrapings and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the rice is very tender and the liquid has thickened somewhat, 20 – 30 minutes.
Add the sugar and raisins. Cook 5 – 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your liking. Let stand off the heat for 10 minutes before serving. It will continue to thicken as it sits, so thin with a little milk if you like.
This rice pudding is best served slightly warm. Store in the fridge for up to several days.
hello
I love rice pudding so much since I'am from the Caribbean, but with the Cardamon I will give it a try
thank you for sharing
You're welcome! I'm a cardamom junkie and use it whenever I get the chance. Let us know how you like it. :)
Somehow, I doubled the rice without doubling the liquid, but it was good anyway! The coconut, vanilla and cardamom are delicious together!
I'm so glad it turned out well! I love those flavors together, too. Thanks for the note. :)
I have a serious problem with this post: your Pomelmet link is broken. How am I to server this delightful, appealing recipe to guests if my cats aren't wearing their Pomelmets?
Geez all that work and I posted to the wrong post!! Moving to the proper location…
I'm totally making this for dessert tonight…seems like arroz doce with an Indian twist!
Totally! Let me know how you like it. :)
Made it in a rice cooker – lazy girl! Forgot the butter (duh, first ingredient) probably because I skipped straight to throwing everything into the rice cooker. I did use the porridge setting and less liquid initially (all the coconut milk plus 1/2 c milk). Added agave and raisins when rice was finished and let it sit 10 minutes.
And yum, yum, yum. As always.
Thanks for sharing your rice cooker method – GENIUS. So glad you liked it!!