Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk

If you can’t find brown arborio rice, or simply are anti-brown rice with all the health announcements as of late, be sure to shorten your cooking time of rice to about 20-25 minutes. For reasons I’ve yet to research (darn time constraints) I have discovered that brown arborio rice takes longer to cook. Alternatively you can try to make it with all coconut milk or all soy milk. I just liked the balance of the two. Lastly, if you use sweetened soy milk, be sure to decrease the sugar to 1/8 cup or not use the sugar altogether.

Ingredients:
2 cups unsweetened soymilk
2 cups coconut milk (or light coconut milk)
½ cup brown arborio rice
¼ cup demerara sugar
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
3 cardamom pods
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup pistachios
⅛ teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning at the bottom. Brown arborio rice takes slightly longer to cook than its white cousin, and remains chewier and more toothsome.

2. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Or refrigerate and eat cold.

Serves 6 as dessert, or 4 as a snack.