I have a long lasting relationship with rice porridge. It was the only porridge I actually enjoyed as a child. I still remember the excitement and relief of finding it on my breakfast table instead of much dreaded semolina or barley. Years later it came back into my life in a slightly different form. In Denmark, where my husband is from, cold rice pudding topped with warm cherry sauce is a traditional Christmas dessert. I took the best of both worlds and serve my creamy rice porridge warm with a range of delicious sweet additions.
The Flavour Affair:
Rice + Milk + Figs + Raspberries + Honey + Cinnamon + Cardamom
Delicate and melting rice porridge pairs particularly well with sweet ingredients. Topped with ripe fruits or berries, warming spices, honey or maple syrup, it will set you off to a great start of the day.
Rice: for a luscious, silky porridge use short grain starchy rice that is highly absorbent with a tender texture, such as arborio or calrose.
Milk: while you could make the porridge with just water, milk adds a rich, creamy flavour – just what we want here! A little goes a long way, and it is not as heavy as cream.
Figs and raspberries: sweet and succulent match made in heaven. That said, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, bananas or even cooked apples are all fabulous.
More of the delicious sweetness: traditional rice porridge recipes use sugar. I prefer to omit it and compensate with more natural sweeteners such as raw honey and sweet spice like cinnamon and cardamom.
Preparation Tips for Creamy Rice Porridge:
- Rinse the rice just briefly under cold water. We want the starch – it will help get that irresistible creamy texture.
- Since we are adding milk, we need to be very careful not to burn the porridge. Burnt milk does not taste good and the whole thing can end up in a waste bin. This is why it is important to take time cooking and allow the rice to boil over the lowest heat for longer.
- If you are making the porridge in advance, bring the rice to al dente and keep in the fridge. When ready to use, return to the stove, add hot milk and cook until tender.
- If the creamy rice porridge seems not creamy enough, stir in one teaspoon of butter in the end.
Enjoy as a delicious satisfying breakfast or a light soothing dinner!
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Creamy Rice Porridge with Raspberries, Figs and Sweet Spices
Equipment
- 1 medium non-stick pot
Ingredients
- 180-200 g short grain starchy rice like arborio or calrose
- 300 ml water
- 300 hot milk
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp butter
- For toppings:
- 4 large fresh figs quartered
- 125 g fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
- Briefly rinse the rice in cold water.
- In a medium non-stick pot, bring 300ml water to boil.
- Add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in hot milk and salt.
- Cook on the lowest heat for 15-20 minutes, adding more milk if the porridge gets too thick before the rice is cooked.
- Once the rice has softened to the desired consistency, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the butter (optional).
- Add all the toppings and serve warm.
Notes
- You can use other sweet fruit and berries for toppings, like cherries, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, apricots or even cooked apples.
- If making the porridge in advance, boil the rice to al dente and keep in the fridge. When ready to use, stir in hot milk and cook until the rice is soft.
