Rice Pudding is the western version of our own Indian Rice Kheer (Paal Payasam) but in the consistency of Sweet (Sarkarai) Pongal. We add saffron threads and cardamom in the Indian pudding. Here they add vanilla extract and cinnamon to flavor the pudding. While browsing "The Joy of Vegan Baking" by Colleen Patrick - Goudreau, I came across this pudding recipe using brown rice instead of white rice and non dairy milk instead of dairy milk. Since I had both soy milk and brown rice at home I decided to make the brown rice pudding.
Recipe
Brown Rice Pudding Recipe
A very simple recipe to prepare a vegan pudding using brown rice and soy milk.
Need To Convert Measurements?Check out the Baking Measurement Chart!
Ingredients
- 2 And ½ Plus ¼ Cup Dairy Or Non-Dairy Milk (I Used Soy Milk)
- ¼ Cup Long Or Short Grain Brown Rice
- ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 To 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (I Omitted)
- ¼ Cup Raisins (Optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine the 2 and ½ cup milk, rice and salt. I did not use the liquid measuring mug to measure 2 and ½ cups of milk, use the same dry measuring cup which you use to measure rice/flour etc.
- Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Keep an eye on the stove or else it will start boiling all over the place.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes.
- Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and add thee sugar, vanilla and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (if using).
- Return to the stove, and cook until the rice pudding thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the raisins, if using.
- Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
My Notes
- I was not sure if the rice would cook properly, because this was the first time I was cooking brown rice. So I ground the rice coarsely in a coffee grinder before cooking it. In that case it cooks completely around 25 minutes.
- After a comment from a visitor Lise regarding the ratio of milk and rice, I tried it once again without powdering the rice and also reduced the quantity of milk from the original 3 cups to 2 and ½ cups. I noticed that if using whole rice it takes at least 40 minutes for the rice to cook tender. Also add 2 tablespoons of sugar first and increase according to your taste.
- After adding the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon it took around 10 minutes for the pudding to thicken. At this point I felt the consistency was right, if I was going to consume it immediately. Since I was going to have it after dinner, I had to refrigerate and the pudding will thicken even more, so I added little less than ¼ cup of milk and heated it for another 2 minutes and then stored in the fridge. So add additional milk to your preferred consistency.
Did You Make This?I love seeing what you made! Leave a review comment below and be sure to tag me at @EgglessCooking when you share a photo!
This brown rice pudding recipe is my entry for:
1. Suganya's Vegan Ventures
2. DK's AWED - American
3. Srivalli's Rice Mela
Scott says
Hello. Interesting looking recipe. I'd make two changes, though:
1) use an equivalent amount of brown rice syrup instead of sugar. I think the flavor enhances the flavor of the rice. Is it also healthier? Arguable--it probably has more trace minerals.
2) I would add the vanilla at the very end rather than cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes--i.e., add it with the raisins. Vanilla contains some quite volatile aromatics, and you're losing some flavor by cooking it. Most of our sense of taste actually comes from our nose: our tongues sense sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness, and--increasingly accepted--umami. That's why food doesn't taste as good if you're congested.
lise says
Big Question here. I think there's something wrong with the proportion of rice to milk. I just made this and when I started dosing everything the amount 1/4 cup of rice seemed so miserly in comparison to the 3 cups of milk. So I adlibbed and doubled the rice. It still took a lot of time to cook - not the 30 to 40 minutes total as quoted in the recipie but more like an hour. Has anyone else had a similar problem? Maybe it was supposed to read: 3/4 rice??? Comment from anyone who's actually made it would be appreciated. Thanks very much. By the way I used Italian Fine Long Grain Brown rice.
Hi Lise, the actual measurement in the book is 1/3 cup of rice and 2 and 1/2 cups milk. When I tried this ratio, I noticed that there was not enough milk, the rice was getting stuck to the bottom and I kept adding more milk. That's why the second time I tried with the 1/4 rice and 3 cups milk. This time too I coarsely powdered the rice. In the second try I liked the fact that the pudding was not very thick and sticky. But after a couple of hours in the fridge it had the correct consistency. The original recipe mentions that you could use either long/short grain white/brown rice. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Anyway I'll try it once again today. As I'm typing this I have kept the rice/milk in the stove. Let's see what's happening. But I'm using dairy milk this time, since I don't have soy milk and also not powdering the rice.
Hi Lise, the pudding is ready and I have updated the post. Please check the My notes section too.
Bharti says
Cool..I have never tried making it with brown rice. Actually I still have to venture in to using soy milk. I am a little wary of soy milk honestly because of all the bad rap it gets,they say that the stuff in the package is very different from the soy milk that Asians make at home.
But Bharti, everything gets a bad rap these days. One day they say that a particular thing is unhealthy and in the next few years tables turn. Even drinking cow's milk is considered unhealthy by lot of people, regardless of the fact whether it's organic or not. Can you believe the advertisement for "high fructose corn syrup" by the corn manufacturers?
Sunshinemom says
Just a query! Does soymilk thicken the same way as cow's? I expected it to stick to the vessel! The pudding looks great!
Yes, it does. You have to keep stirring and little milk if required.
Roma says
Brown rice is healthy too. Pudding looks delicious!
Uma says
delicious pudding! looks lovely! 🙂
Srivalli says
Thats so lovely madhu..thanks for the entry!
raaji says
madhu i still havnt tried the payasam with brown rice.....lovely presentation...
Sweatha says
Lovely.I never tried brown rice,but I too make this pudding or payasam .Lovely and beautiful pic.Loved your notes section.Actually I always go there first.Ver helpful.Right now I am drooling 😛 😛
Thanks Sweatha.
Cham says
Somehow I don't like cinnamon in sweet dish... Good one 🙂
Priya says
Excellent MAdhu..delicious n tempting one...Yeah send them to Srivalli's Rice mela..
kamala says
Looks delicious Madhu..You can send this to Srivalli's Rice mela too!!!
Happy Cook says
I love this. One of the regular payasom my mom used to make, except like you said it was with cardamom than vanilla