Tibetan Apple and Honey Rice Pudding

by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
from Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels
in the Other China
(Artisan, 2008)
Makes about 6 cups

This delicious version of rice pudding, known as de-sil in Tibetan, uses broken rice (the lowest grade of rice), which is ideal for the pudding because the broken grains release starch as they cook, creating a thicker, smoother texture.

In Tibet, there’s a little brown root, rather like a miniature yam, that is gathered in the wild and then dried. Small piles of it are for sale in the markets, and it is traditionally used as a sweet flavoring in this rice pudding, sometimes in combination with raisins from Xinjiang. We substitute dried apple, chopped into small pieces, for the Tibetan root, and we skip the raisins, as we prefer to let the subtle perfume of the apple stand on its own. Do feel free to substitute golden raisins for some or all of the dried apple if you wish. The other sweet flavoring is honey. Use a pale, clean-tasting flower honey.

Serve the pudding in small bowls for dessert or as a snack, either plain, or drizzled with a little more honey or butter or yogurt, or a combination. Leftovers make a welcoming breakfast (see Note).—Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

convert Ingredients
3 cups water
1 cup broken rice
Pinch of salt
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup packed dried apples, preferably organic, chopped into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces
3 tablespoons clover honey or other flower honey, or more to taste
2 tablespoons butter, or to taste (optional)

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Method
1. Bring the water to a boil in a small heavy pot. Place the rice in a sieve and rinse with cold water to clean it, then sprinkle into the boiling water. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until most of the water is absorbed and the rice is soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Add the salt, then stir in the milk and apples. Raise the heat and bring back nearly to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to make sure the rice is not sticking; after about 30 minutes, add the honey and stir in. When cooked, the pudding will be very thick.

3. Just before serving, stir in the butter, if using.

Note on reheating: If left to stand for any time after cooking, the pudding will thicken even more. To reheat it or to loosen the texture, place over low heat, and stir in up to 1 cup more milk (as well as the optional butter). Stir frequently as the pudding warms, to prevent sticking.

Recipe © 2008 by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.