One of my all-time favourite Middle Eastern desserts is this exotic variation on rice pudding.  Influenced heavily, if not originating entirely from Iran, this dessert is very common in Iraqi households and is considered a special treat for special events.  A two-layered rice pudding with subtle flavours that are fresh and cold and perfectly sweet.  I can easily devour 4 servings in one sit anytime I see this one in front of me.

Time:

30 min

Serves:

6

Good for:

• A cold pudding for a hot day
• Exotic flavour and impressive look
• Subtle sweetness

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice (preferably jasmine or short rice, not long-grain basmati
• 3 cups of water
• 2 cups of Milk
• 1 tbsp of cooking oil
• 1-2 cups of sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
• Cinnamon to garnish
• A pinch of Saffron infused in water
• ½ tbsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp of Rose Water
• ½ tspn of salt

Kitchen things you’ll need:

• Blender
• 2 pots
• Large platter

Making it:

• After washing and draining the rice, douse it in cold water and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Drain it again and blend it with a pulsating speed to roughly chop.
• Bring to a boil the 3 cups of water with a pinch of salt.
• Add the chopped rice into the boiling water and mix until soft and fully cooked.
• If it is too thick to stir you can thin it out with a little bit of water.
• After cooking remove a third of the cooked rice and put it in a different pot, add the milk, cardamom, and rosewater then pour it onto the platter and let it cook until thick.
• Add sugar to the remaining cooked rice (you can add more or less to taste) and the saffron mixture and cook a little more until the sugar is fully blended.  If it also gets too thick to stir you can add a little water.
• Add a little oil to make it glossier then pour this second layer on top of the first milk-cooked layer.
• Use the cinnamon to garnish or draw a design on top of the yellow top layer and let it cool in the fridge before serving.

Tips/notes:

• Chopped almonds can also be added as a topping to give some crunch.
• A pinch of nutmeg for additional flavour can be added with the cinnamon.