Pudding!

[eruthros]

This post is brought to you by the fact that it is too late to make pudding tonight, thus giving me lots of time to ponder ideal recipes for tomorrow. And there are too many! I like the milk-custard style tapioca/rice pudding, but I also like the coconut milk style, and basically there are too many options. Well, except pandan leaves. You can't get pandan here anywhere, and it makes me sad, because it's so great in black rice pudding.

Poll #5593 Pudding is serious business

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14

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The perfect rice pudding includes:

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white rice
10 (71.4%)

brown rice
2 (14.3%)

black/purple rice
6 (42.9%)

milk
7 (50.0%)

soy/almond/hemp milk
4 (28.6%)

coconut milk
3 (21.4%)

coconut cream, geez
4 (28.6%)

eggs
6 (42.9%)

pandan leaves
4 (28.6%)

white sugar
5 (35.7%)

palm sugar
4 (28.6%)

brown sugar
7 (50.0%)

other sugary thing
1 (7.1%)

mango
8 (57.1%)

fruit other than mango
4 (28.6%)

cinnamon
3 (21.4%)

vanilla
9 (64.3%)

nutmeg
6 (42.9%)

something else I can't believe you forgot!
1 (7.1%)

The perfect tapioca pudding includes:

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flake tapioca
1 (10.0%)

small pearl tapioca
9 (90.0%)

large pearl tapioca
4 (40.0%)

milk
6 (60.0%)

soy/almond/hemp milk
4 (40.0%)

coconut milk
3 (30.0%)

coconut cream, geez
1 (10.0%)

white sugar
5 (50.0%)

palm sugar
3 (30.0%)

brown sugar
3 (30.0%)

other sugary thing
1 (10.0%)

mango
3 (30.0%)

fruit other than mango
3 (30.0%)

cinnamon
4 (40.0%)

vanilla
7 (70.0%)

nutmeg
3 (30.0%)

something else I can't believe you forgot
0 (0.0%)

... no, seriously, now I'm thinking about black rice pudding. Maybe with mango and coconut cream. Just for fun, here is a recipe that I cannot make unless I replace the pandan with vanilla:

Ingredients:
1 c black (purple) rice
3/4 c white glutinous rice
2 pandan leaves
5 c water
1/2 c palm sugar syrup (if you don't have any, try replacing it with an approximation made from 1 c sugar, 1 c water, 1 pandan leaf - bring to boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes before measuring)
1/2 c coconut cream

1. Rinse the rice under running water for two minutes and then set aside to drain.

2. Put the water, rice, and pandan leaves in a heavy-bottomed pan and simmer on medium heat for about forty minutes. (It's totally fine to go watch tv during this step just like when you're cooking other kinds of rice. Mmm, rice pudding that doesn't involve custard!)

3. Add the palm sugar syrup and cook until most of the water has evaporated, and the rice is in a smallish amount of thick, sticky, syrupy liquid.

4. Allow to cool.

5. Served topped with coconut cream (or milk I guess). You can also add fruit of your choice, toasted sesame seeds, pandan-infused coconut milk, various ices or sorbets, or whatever, depending on what culinary direction you want to go in.