How to make coconut rice pudding

At home a great competitor to traditional rice pudding has emerged, and this coconut rice pudding recipe is as tasty as the usual one, but with a coconut flavor that only adds to it. It stays just as fresh, creamy, delicious... but when you taste it you wonder what that something is that makes you take one more spoonful.

I think the coconut flavor brings to the classic rice pudding a touch of lightness and a somewhat exotic aroma. Exotic in the sense of curious, different, addictively poisonous (not in the sense of adding a tropical taste).

When talking about this recipe, some asked me: "But what does it taste like?" It tastes exactly like its name indicates: it’s the usual rice pudding, but with a hint of coconut. If you like coconut, you have to try it because you'll love it.

It's a very simple recipe. I make it in a pressure cooker, which saves a lot of time, but I'll also tell you below how to make it in a traditional pot.

Proportion of milk and rice for rice pudding

The proportion of rice to milk for a traditional rice pudding is usually 100 g of rice per 500 ml of milk (in this case, milks, plural).

In this recipe, the proportion is slightly lower because we are making a large quantity of rice, and the level of liquid reduction is proportionally lower when we are adding 2 L of milk.

With the ingredient amounts in this rice pudding you get a very runny rice pudding at first. That's how we've always liked it at home, but keep in mind that over the hours the rice will absorb that liquid and it will thicken. In "Notes" I tell you more about that.

Amount and type of sugar in the rice pudding

I always make rice pudding with regular white sugar. It's a dessert, and I believe rice pudding should be sweet, just enough to enjoy it to the fullest. Therefore, I recommend using 175 to 200 g of sugar, but if after tasting it you want it sweeter, you can add an extra generous tablespoon when you finish preparing it.

You can partially or completely substitute the sugar with brown sugar or coconut sugar (to enhance its flavor), but keep in mind it will be a bit darker and lose that white touch of a traditional rice pudding.

Below you have some more considerations, but I think it's time to go for the recipe.

Pressure cooker Perfect WMF and Le Creuset ceramic mini-cocottes

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

• 1 l coconut water
• 1 l semi-skimmed or whole cow's milk
• 250 g bomba rice
• 190 g white sugar
• Peel of 1 lemon
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• For serving: ground cinnamon and, optionally, cocoa powder

Rice pudding recipe in Pressure Cooker

1. In the pressure cooker Perfect WMF, pour the two milks, the rice, the lemon peel and the cinnamon sticks. Stir with a spatula, close the pot and put over heat.
2. When the rings rise, start counting 12 minutes and after that time turn off the heat. Let it lose pressure on its own.
3. When the rings lower it will be a sign you can open the lid. Open, add the sugar, stir and leave on the heat 2 or 3 more minutes, without the lid and stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.
4. Remove the lemon peel (otherwise, the rice may turn slightly sour over the hours), transfer all the rice to a large airtight container to store it in the fridge or directly into mini-cocottes (which have a lid, and that way you'll have them ready to serve).
5. Store in the fridge for at least 3 hours, so they cool and the flavors settle.
6. When serving, sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top.

Le Creuset ceramic mini-cocottes

Rice pudding recipe in Traditional Pot

The step-by-step to follow is exactly the same as before, but you should leave it longer*: put all the ingredients in your pot except the sugar, let it cook for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally and, when you see the rice cooked and the milk thick (but still in a considerable amount), add the sugar.

Mix a couple more minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool down.

Store it covered in the fridge for a few hours, and serve with cinnamon.

Notes

On how to get a runny rice pudding:

• At home we love rice pudding very runny, but if you want it thicker you can increase the rice amount by 50 g, or reduce the amount of milk by 100 ml of each type of milk.
• Remember that the rice will continue absorbing part of the milk in the hours that follow. Thus, you may see it very runny at first, but when it cools and absorbs part of the liquid, it will become denser and less liquid than when you finish the recipe. That's why it's interesting to turn off the heat with a good amount of liquid still remaining, or make it with a rice/milk ratio of about 1 to 3 (100 g of rice for every 300 ml of milk), to ensure there is milk left unabsorbed.
• *Keep in mind that the pressure cooker helps you save approximately 65% of the time, but cooking time is always estimated since depending on the milk and brand of rice you use, as well as the heat level you apply, the cooking will vary by a few minutes. In any case, watch the rice or taste it to ensure it's cooked (the grain in a rice pudding must be very done), and the milk level is still very important, but thick).

Other notes:

• You have to try coconut rice pudding with a little cocoa sprinkled on top! It's a delight: the coconut flavor pairs very well with the taste of cocoa, so coconut rice pudding mixed with cocoa becomes a delicious cocoa dessert.
• With a 50% milk ratio (50% cow's milk, 50% coconut water), the rice pudding already takes on a significant coconut flavor. That's how I like it, but you can vary these proportions to your taste (30% and 70% for example). I recommend trying it at 50% and from there deciding if you want more or less coconut flavor.
• I used coconut water, but you can also use coconut milk. Being a bit denser, you may find it convenient to reduce the amount of coconut milk to 40%.
• Sweetness level: with that amount of sugar you get a sweet rice pudding as I remember from my grandmother, but you may want to use less. If you want, you can use 175 g of sugar and taste it when you turn off the heat. If you want it sweeter, add those missing 25 g or a bit more to suit your taste.
• You can replace part of the sugar with brown sugar or coconut sugar. Keep in mind, however, that:
• These sugars provide less sweetness than more refined ones, so you'll need more quantity. Test to find the rice to your liking.
• The color of the rice will become a bit darker.

Pressure cooker Perfect WMF and Le Creuset ceramic mini-cocottes