Riz b haleeb , which is the Arabic name for rice pudding, is a famous dessert in the Middle East. There are many versions to prepare it but this recipe is the Vegan version of the famous Arabic Rice pudding.
What is Rice Pudding?
It is basically rice mixed with milk plus other “flavoring” ingredients and sugar as a sweetener. As a dessert, this dish can be found in many continents, especially in Asia where rice dishes are a staple.
Different types of rice pudding vary depending on the preparation methods used and the list of ingredients that goes in the recipe. Rice puddings can be boiled or baked. In some recipes add butter or eggs. Some enjoy it hot, especially in the cold winters and some prefer it cold after it is set in the fridge.
Even within the middle eastern region, each country prepares rice pudding differently. This recipe is inspired by the Lebanese riz b haleeb . It is the Veganized version of my mother’s recipe she used to prepare for me when I was a kid, the aroma that comes while preparing it brings back such beautiful childhood memories.
Ingredients:
- Coconut milk: I used canned coconut milk, it’s thicker and will result in a more creamy pudding. Don’t worry about having the pudding taste like coconut because it won’t, not that I mind the coconut taste. I haven’t tried this recipe using another plant-based milk, therefore I wouldn’t know if it will work.
- Short-grain rice: we call it Egyptian rice but I believe any short-grain rice will work.
- Sugar: white sugar was used in this recipe.
- Cardamom: for flavor.
- Mastic: which is basically a resin produced by a tree that grows in Greece. It’s a very popular ingredient in the middle east for making desserts. It has a piny and woody taste, once combined with sugar in desserts it gives such a unique taste, it also changes the food texture, especially when used in ice creams. Using too much mastic can result in a bitter taste so use it carefully.
- Rose water
Notes for preparing the Rice pudding:
There are many different ways of preparing Riz b haleeb , some start with pre-boiled rice which speeds up the process, some add corn starch for thickening it. however, in this recipe am starting with uncooked short-grain rice. I saw one time this famous Arabic chef on TV with a trick to prepare the creamiest rice pudding without having to use starch, by basically utilizing the rice’s own starch. She soaked the rice in milk for a couple of hours and then cooked the soaked rice with the milk. I’ve soaked my rice in coconut milk for 1.5 hrs and it turned out perfect texture , you can soak it for 1 hour only or more depending on how much time you got.
I know this way is time-consuming but it’s worth it, as the resulting rice pudding will be super creamy and really delicious. This dessert is best to be prepared in advance like a day before and put in the fridge to set and will be ready the next morning.
Add the mastic and rose water at the end only after you turn the heat off as you don’t need to cook them, otherwise the rose water will evaporate and won’t have any taste, the mastic make sure to grind it into a powder using mortar and pestle, and add it at the end after the pudding is cooked, it will dissolve immediately.
Storing:
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This recipe serves approx. 3 people but can be doubled or tripled if you want to serve more people, and stores well in the fridge. Best to prepare it in advance and enjoy it the next day, maybe for breakfast as well, it’s one of my daughter’s best breakfast dishes. Give it a try and let me know in the comments what you think.
More Vegan breakfast recipes:
Vegan eggs and potatoes recipe
Rice pudding “Riz b haleeb” recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ can full-fat coconut milk
- ⅓ cup short grain rice
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 pods cardamom
- 2 tbsp rose water
- 5 pebbles mastic grinded
- 1 tbsp pistachio powder optional toppings
- 1 tbsp sliced almond optional toppings
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl add the rice and 1 cup (½can) coconut milk, stir and let it soak for 1½ hours in the fridge.
- Add the soaked rice plus the milk to a pan. Add the remaining 1 can of coconut milk and cardamom pods to the pan and put it on the stove on medium-high heat and stir. Stir every 30 seconds the rice and let it cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes you will notice that the milk has reduced and thickened and the rice is cooked and creamy.
- Turn the heat off and add the rose water plus the mastic powder and mix the pudding.
- Serve the pudding in single cups and leave it to cool a bit before adding any toppings.
- You can enjoy it hot, or put it in the fridge after it cooled down, just cover it with a cling film and keep it in the fridge till it sets and enjoy.
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