When I was a kid, my favorite breakfast was a hot bowl of cream-of-wheat with milk and sugar and piles of Cheerios on top. What I liked the most were the texture combinations – hot and cold, chewy and crunchy, as well as the sweet earthy flavor of wheat and oats. It’s been many years since I’ve eaten this dish, but I still love hot cereals – amaranth with fruit, GF oats, or rice pudding. Yes, I eat rice pudding for breakfast, even if most people eat it for dessert.
The following recipe was inspired by one I found in a Sunset magazine a few years ago. With the high-fiber brown rice, dried fruit, coconut milk, and maybe some nuts on top, it is a great way to start the day.
Sweet brown rice is a short grain, glutinous – or sticky – rice used in Asian desserts and sweets, as well as in sushi. Interestingly, I have only been able to find it at Whole Foods. The local Asian grocery store only carries white and black glutinous rice.
I like to soak the rice grains overnight. It helps them sprout – which brings out their nutritive content and increases digestibility, as well as reduces the amount of time needed to cook the pudding.
Simply soak the rice in water over night. The next day, drain and rinse the grains. Make sure to pour out all liquid before adding coconut milk and water called for in recipe.
Coconut Brown Rice Pudding Recipe
Makes 6-8 servings (depending on whether you serve for breakfast or as a dessert)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet brown rice (soaked in water overnight and then drained)
- 1 14-oz can light coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dried raisins or other dried fruit
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or orange zest
Instructions
Stir together coconut milk, water, rice, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and partially cover.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid thickens and rice is tender. If you pre-soaked the rice grains, this should take about an hour. It may take almost 2 if you did not pre-soak the rice.
Stir raisins or dried fruit and citrus zest into the mixture and allow to sit, covered, for 5-10 minutes. This will plump up the fruit and sweeten the rice.
Serve warm. Garnish with nuts, dried coconut or other toppings. Sweeten to taste, if desired (personally, I think the raisins add plenty of sweetness).
About Stormy Sweitzer - Maoomba-in-chief