Lebanese style rice pudding with rosewater and strawberry compôte
Make your next rice pudding Lebanese-style, with a hint of rosewater, pine-like mastic and orange blossom-flavoured compôte on top.
Ingredients
For the rice pudding
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú jasmine rice
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp extra
- 600–800ml/20fl oz–1½ pint milk
- 1 tsp Arab mastic, optional
- 1½ tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp rosewater
For the compôte
- 250g/9oz ripe strawberries
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú strawberry jam
- 1–2 tsp orange blossom water
To decorate
- pinch cinnamon
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú toasted Israeli pistachios
Method
Rinse the rice and transfer to a large saucepan. Add 200ml/7fl oz water, then cook over a low heat until the water is absorbed. This should take around 4–5 minutes.
Add the sugar and most of the milk. Grind the mastic (if using) with the extra sugar, then add to the pan.
Mix the cornflour with the remaining milk to form a paste, then add this mixture to the pan, too. Cook for 15 minutes or so, until thickened.
Meanwhile, to make the compôte, tip the strawberries into a large saucepan, then add the jam. Cook over a low heat until the strawberry juices start to run. This will take 8–10 minutes. Add the orange blossom water to taste. Set aside.
Taste the cooked rice pudding and add more sugar if needed, as well as the rose water. Allow to cool.
Serve the rice pudding cold with the strawberry compote and garnish with the pistachios and cinnamon.
