Pistachio Rice Pudding

Whenever I hear the words pistachio and pudding together I instantly think of that sea foam green Watergate salad sitting abandoned at a church pot luck. This, my friends, is nothing like that.



This pistachio rice pudding is also a far cry from the rice puddings of my childhood, which were thick and full of eggs, making them quite custard-like and very sweet. The recipe, with only 1/4 cup of sugar is sweet enough to make it feel like dessert, but not cloying - it would be delicious for breakfast.



Those traditional southern rice puddings will always have a special place in my heart, but I have a feeling this will become my go-to recipe.



Chilled Pistachio Rice Pudding
Servings: 4 to 6 (conservatively)
adapted from here

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
1/4 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped, plus extra for garnish, if desired

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in the rice, milk and cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook the rice, uncovered, until very tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and set the pan aside, uncovered, until the rice cools to room temperature, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. (The pudding will be very soupy at first, but will thicken as the rice continues to absorb the liquid as it cools in the pan.)
4. Stir in the pistachios, then cover and refrigerate the pudding until well chilled. Garnish with extra pistachios if desired. This makes about 3 cups rice pudding.