
TASTY TREAT. Making Forbidden Rice Pudding is pretty near
a snap, and shouldn’t require more than 15 minutes of your undivided
attention. (AP Photo/ Matthew Mead)
From The Asian Reporter, V24, #09 (May 5, 2014), page 7.
A forbidden take on a healthy rice pudding
By Sara Moulton
The Associated Press
Speaking as a mom and a chef, let me assure you — one of the nicest
things you can do for Mom on Mother’s Day is cook for her. Something sweet
is best. And my candidate? Comforting, traditional rice pudding.
Or maybe not so traditional. Classic rice puddings are made from plain
white rice. The grains are very tender, the flavor is kind of bland, and the
color is white. In my recipe, which is made using black forbidden rice, the
grains are slightly chewy, the flavor is slightly nutty, and the color is
deep purple.
Once upon a time forbidden rice was said to be literally forbidden. First
cultivated in China, forbidden rice was so rare — and so nutritious — no one
was allowed to eat it except for the emperor. Today, forbidden rice is
considered a delicious and healthy whole grain we can all enjoy.
Like brown rice, forbidden rice is unpolished; the hull of the grain, a
rich source of insoluble fiber, is left intact. It’s also a good source of
iron and vitamin E, and a great source of the same antioxidants that put the
blue in blueberries. I was first introduced to forbidden rice six years ago,
when it was still rare. Thankfully, these days it’s readily available at
most grocers.
In this recipe, the rice is cooked until tender, then combined with whole
milk, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, and vanilla. The whole milk — replacing the
more traditional (and more caloric) heavy cream — does a great job of
delivering the desired silkiness. The cinnamon stick and vanilla — which
deliver big flavor — are the most important ingredients next to the rice. If
you’ve been waiting for an occasion to use that extra-special Sri Lankan
cinnamon or Tahitian vanilla you received as Christmas gifts, now’s the time
to pull them off the shelf.
Making this recipe is pretty near a snap. It shouldn’t require more than
15 minutes of your undivided attention. The rest of the time it’ll just
simmer away on its own. Unlike brown rice, forbidden rice cooks up in a
relatively speedy 30 minutes. You will, however, need to pay close attention
when you add the eggs, making sure they don’t get so hot that they scramble.
Finally, I’d like to encourage you to top it all off with some
crystallized ginger, as suggested. It was one of my mom’s favorite little
treats and it provides the perfect finishing touch of chewy, spicy contrast
to the creamy pudding.
Forbidden Rice Pudding
Start to finish:
3 hours, 25 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 4
1/2 cup forbidden rice (Chinese black rice)
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large cinnamon stick
Salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger, to garnish (optional)
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rice and water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 30
minutes. Let stand for a few minutes, then pour through a mesh strainer to
discard any excess water. Return the rice to the pot over medium-high heat.
Add two cups of the milk, the sugar, the cinnamon stick, and a hefty pinch
of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook uncovered,
stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Whisk in
a large spoonful of the hot rice mixture. Add the egg mixture to the rice
and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats
the back of a spoon, four to five minutes. Do not let the rice pudding boil
or the eggs will scramble.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and transfer the
rice pudding to a bowl. Cover the pudding and chill until cold, at least two
hours. The pudding will thicken as it chills. To serve, discard the cinnamon
stick and divide the rice pudding among four bowls. Top each portion with
some of the ginger.
Nutrition information per serving: 280 calories (70 calories from fat, 25
percent of total calories); 8 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 0 g trans fats); 105
mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 17 g sugar; 10 g protein; 160
mg sodium.
Editor’s Note: Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine
for nearly 25 years, and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows.
She currently stars in public television’s "Sara’s Weeknight Meals" and has
written three cookbooks, including Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family
Dinners.
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