Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) short-grain rice (arborio or sushi)
- 5 cups (1.18 L) whole milk, divided
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 6–8 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed or 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ⅓–½ cup (110–170 g) honey, to taste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) orange blossom water
- 1–2 tsp rose water, to taste
- ¼ cup (40 g) golden raisins, soaked till plump
- ⅓ cup (45 g) pistachios, toasted & chopped
- Optional: Pinch saffron; zest of ½ orange
Do This
- Rinse: Rinse rice until water runs mostly clear (30–60 sec).
- Simmer: In a heavy saucepan combine rice, 4 cups milk, salt, cardamom (and saffron if using). Bring just to a boil; reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring often, 25–35 min.
- Sweeten & enrich: Stir in honey and remaining 1 cup milk; simmer 5–10 min more, stirring, until creamy and spoon-moundy.
- Finish: Off heat stir in orange blossom water, rose water, drained raisins, and half the pistachios. Rest 5–10 min to thicken.
- Serve: Warm or chilled; top with remaining pistachios and extra raisins. Loosen with warm milk if too thick.
Why you’ll love it: Silky, slow-simmered short-grain rice swirled with warm cardamom, citrus-floral orange blossom, and a whisper of rose. Sweetened naturally with honey and finished with toasted pistachios and plump golden raisins. Cozy warm or elegant chilled.
Specs
- Yield: 6–8 servings
- Active Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 55–70 minutes (plus chilling if serving cold)
- Pan: 3–4 qt heavy saucepan
Equipment
- Heavy saucepan (3–4 qt), fine-mesh strainer
- Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
- Measuring cups/spoons; small bowl for soaking raisins
Ingredients
Base
- ¾ cup (150 g) short-grain rice, rinsed
- 5 cups (1.18 L) whole milk, divided
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 6–8 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed or 1 tsp ground cardamom
- Optional aroma: Pinch saffron bloomed in 1 tbsp hot milk
Sweeten & Finish
- ⅓–½ cup (110–170 g) honey, to taste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) orange blossom water
- 1–2 tsp rose water, to taste
- ¼ cup (40 g) golden raisins, soaked 10 min and drained
- ⅓ cup (45 g) pistachios, toasted & chopped (plus more to serve)
- Optional: Finely grated zest of ½ orange
Method (Detailed, Separated Steps)
Step 1 — Rinse & Pre-infuse (3–5 minutes)
- Rinse the rice in cool water, swishing with your fingers, until the water runs mostly clear; drain well.
- If using saffron, bloom the threads in 1 tbsp hot milk; set aside.
Step 2 — Slow Simmer the Base (25–35 minutes)
- In a heavy 3–4 qt saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, 4 cups milk, salt, cardamom (and bloomed saffron if using).
- Bring just to a boil over medium heat, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook uncovered, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom and sides to prevent sticking, until the rice is tender and suspended in a thickened, porridge-like liquid (about 25–35 minutes).
Step 3 — Sweeten & Cream (5–10 minutes)
- Stir in the honey and the remaining 1 cup milk.
- Simmer gently, stirring, until the pudding looks glossy and mounds softly on a spoon; it should still be a touch looser than final texture (it thickens as it rests).
Step 4 — Finish & Rest (5–10 minutes)
- Remove from heat; stir in orange blossom water, rose water, drained raisins, and half the pistachios. Add orange zest if using.
- Cover loosely and let stand 5–10 minutes to thicken. If it becomes too thick, loosen with a splash of warm milk.
Step 5 — Serve
- Spoon into bowls warm or chill for at least 2 hours for a cooler, thicker set.
- Top with remaining pistachios (and a few extra raisins). A tiny drizzle of honey right before serving is lovely.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Keeps 3–4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. It will thicken—stir in warm milk to loosen.
- Not ideal for freezing (texture can become grainy).
