Rizogalo in Greece, Budino di Riso in Italy, Arroz con leche in most Spanish speaking countries, Roz bil Halib in the Arab world - baked or boiled, these are all slight variations of simple, yet delicious rice pudding dessert. In Brazil every family has its own recipe and tricks for turning out this fabulous treat we call Arroz Doce but most always include the following main ingredients: milk, sugar, cinnamon and of course rice.
The twist in my recipe is the use of my beloved pressure cooker so that I can make it fast and condensed milk instead of sugar which ensures a creamy texture and oh-so-sweet flavor just as I like. For today I used Calrose rice, a gift from my friend Andrea who knows I am a rice aficionada, the peel of one orange and some cardamom. Feel free to use this basic recipe to try out your own different possibilities by changing the type of rice used, spices and flavorings.
Rice Pudding
1 cup of rice
4 cups of water
5 cardamom pods, optional (I many times use a cinnamon stick instead)
Peel of an orange (big piece as it will be removed later), optional
2 cups milk
1 can condensed milk
Ground cinnamon to serve
Put rice, water, cardamom pods and orange peel in pressure cooker. Lock lid in place and bring to high pressure. Cook for 5 minutes and let cooker release steam naturally, which will take probably another five minutes. Remove lid. (If using a regular pan you will need to cook the rice until soft, around half hour or so).
While rice is cooking warm up milk in a separate pan and set aside.
After pressure cooker has released steam and you have removed lid, add warm milk and condensed milk to the cooked rice. Then heat mixture on low stirring continuously. Once it starts to boil leave for about 5 minutes more until mixture thickens. It may still appear not as thick as you wish but remember it will get thicker as it cools. Remove cardamom and orange peel. Serve in a large dish or small shallow ramekins, and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
