Indian Rice Pudding 2, Slow Cooker Method
Chawal ki Kheer 2
Mamta Gupta
Rice pudding is perhaps one of the most popular milk puddings all across India. It is made with minor variations in almost every home. This means that apart from milk, rice and sugar, it may or may not have; green cardamoms, cinnamon, rose water, Kewra (screw-pine essence), vanilla, almonds, green pistachios, coconut-shavings/desiccated, chraunji or chiroli nuts (Cudapah Nut or Buchanania latifolia), raisins etc., etc. Here, I have made it in a slow cooker. I have to say that is really is very similar to how my grandmother used to make it, except that she had a lot more full cream milk, condensed for hours in the dying ambers and hot ashes of a wood/charcoal stove (chulha). Adding 1 tin of condensed milk at the end, enhances the taste. Adjust sugar accordingly, because condensed milk is usually sweetened. Serves 6-8
For people allergic to cows milk, it can be made in coconut milk also.
Ingredients
1 1/2-2 litre milk
1 rice cup (130 gm.) Basmati rice. It is nice with short grain rice too. I have made it with Idli rice too, it tastes lovely.
130 gm. Demerara or any other sugar of choice, adjust amount to taste
2 tbsp. coconut shavings, adjust to taste (optional)
3-4 green cardamoms, crushed/powdered
10-12 almonds/pistachio
1/4 cup raisins. I don't add them because my husband doesn't eat them, but they do taste nice, if you like them.
A few saffron strands
A small block of cold butter to grease the slow-cooker pot
Instructions
Soak almonds/pistachios in warm water. If in a hurry, cook in microwave oven on high for 1 + 1 minutes. This will loosen their skin and they will peel very easily.
Wash and soak rice while you get everything else together.
Measure all other ingredients.
Grease slow cooker with butter. This stops the milk from sticking to the pot.
Place drained rice and milk in the slow cooker pot. You can add sugar, coconut shavings and cardamom powder here or later as given below. Cook on high heat for 4-5 hours (or 2-3 hours on high then on medium until rice is soft and well cooked). Slow cooker performances vary a lot. I cook most things on high and once the rice it softened, I turn it down to medium. Longer it cooks, creamier it becomes. I stir it 2-3 times in between, just to make sure it does not stick to the bottom.
Meanwhile, peel and slice nuts from step one. A garlic slicer is great for slicing nuts, I keep one just for this purpose, so that it doesn't transfer garlic smell to the nuts.
When the rice pudding is nearly ready, , it should be of a creamy, soft consistency, not too thick/thin, no separate grains.
Add raisins, cardamom powder, saffron, coconut shaving (if used), 2/3rd of the nuts and sugar, if not added earlier on step 5. Stir them in.
Let it rest for a while. It may become too thick as it cools. So you may need to add a little more milk, if it does.
Transfer to serving bowl and add remaining nuts on top as a garnish.
Serve hot or chilled.