surplus sunday: coconut rice pudding with strawberry syrup

As you would have probably guessed by now, I’m very much a dessert person. At the risk of sounding too much of a glutton, between the mister and I, even on the days when he’s quick to proclaim a meal satisfactorily filling and there would be no way he could down another mouthful, I would be the one with an incredulous look, exclaiming my oft-quoted “But there’s always room for dessert!”.

While my choice of decadence would almost always involve either a perfectly cold scoop of ice-cream or a rich slice of chocolate indulgence, I’ve always wondered about creamier desserts on the menu; pannacotta, custards, puddings, creme brulee, to name a few. But the thought of it being cheesy, milky or eggy pushes the the no-dairy side of me to always play it safe and stick to the familiar route.

That is, until I had leftover rice to play experiment with.

You see, with the amount of modifications I request for each time I place an order for anything ranging from a McDonald’s burger to a restaurant pasta, I’ve grown to realise that sometimes it’s really best to try my hand at certain dishes in my own time, in my own kitchen, with modifications to suit my own palate.

Thankfully, my first attempt at making rice pudding proved to be really encouraging. In fact, I can even foresee it becoming one of my favorite turn-to desserts in the long run, second to the easy-peasy Nutella bread pudding; the latter’s an obvious winner because it doesn’t involve the stove. The best part about the rice pudding is its versatility;– substitute milk for coconut cream, add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, forgo the strawberries and just serve as is, or you can even make the individual servings beforehand in lovely little cocktail glasses, and stash away in the fridge before the guests arrive!

Having said all that, would I reach for the rice pudding the next time I order dessert? No, I wouldn’t. But I would definitely make it myself the next time I have leftover rice, and have room for dessert!

Coconut Rice Pudding with Strawberry Syrup

For Strawberry Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup water
1 cup strawberries, diced

For Rice Pudding
1 cup cooked rice
1 box (200ml) coconut cream¹
3 tbsp sugar

1. In a small saucepan, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar with water, and bring to a gentle boil.
2. Add the diced strawberries, and simmer on low heat for about 15 mins, or until the strawberries have softened and reduced to a thick syrup consistency. Leave aside to cool.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine cooked rice, coconut cream and 3 tbsp sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
4. Cook until about all of the coconut cream has been absorbed (or to your desired consistency), stirring from the bottom of the pan often, so that the bottom won’t burn.
5. To serve, mix the cooked strawberries with the rice, or serve the rice puddings topped with the cooked strawberries.

Recipe Notes:
¹ If you prefer a creamier pudding, feel free to add an extra 1/2 cup of water or milk.

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