Basmati Rice Pudding with Apples fried in Sage and Bay Leaves

This a take on a classic rice pudding, but with a few additions to make this a showstopping dessert

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FOR THE BASMATI KHEER

• 120g basmati rice
• 2 litres full cream milk (coconut milk)
• 250ml fresh cream (coconut cream)
• 5 cardamom pods
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 vanilla pod
• 100g white sugar, plus 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 125ml fresh cream (coconut cream)

METHOD

1. Soak the basmati rice for two hours, fully submerging it in water. Drain well, place on a baking tray with a paper towel and leave to dry overnight. Alternatively, dry at around 100 degrees for an hour in the oven.
2. The next day coarsely grind the rice, making sure not to turn it into a powder.
3. Roughly crush the cardamom pods, split the vanilla bean in two and scrape out the seeds. Add this, the bay leaves and the cinnamon to the milk and bring everything to a boil.
4. Once the milk has come to a boil, turn the heat down to let the milk simmer and add in the rice. Cook for 30 – 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot to make sure it does not boil over. The rice will begin to breakdown.
5. Once the rice has broken down, bring up to a boil stirring constantly to prevent the rice from catching a the bottom of the pan. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, until a thick pudding is formed.
6. Remove the cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla bean, add in the sugar and cook for a further 10 minutes.
7. Take off the heat and stir in the cream.
8. Place into six ramekins to set, and place in the fridge for at least four hours.
9. When ready to serve, sprinkle on the sugar and use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar to get a nice crack.
10. Serve with the fried apples, ice cream and crushed pistachios.

FOR THE FRIED APPLES IN SAGE AND BAY LEAVES

• 2 granny smith apples
• 2 – 3 bay leaves
• a sprig of sage
• a pinch of salt
• 60g salted butter
• 2 – 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• a fresh grating of nutmeg
• a squeeze of lemon juice

METHOD

1. Peel and core the applies and cut them into slices. You can do them as thin or as thick as you like.
2. Toss the apples in lemon juice with a pinch of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Add the butter to a medium pan and melt before adding in the sage and bay leaves. Fry for a minute.
4. Add in the apples to the pan along with the brown sugar and cook on medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes, until the apples have softened and the sugar has melted and caramelised. I like to keep some bite the apples for texture, but you can cook them to your preference.
5. Taste the apples, depending on their natural flavour, you may want to add a bit more sugar or a squeeze of lemon juice to balance out the flavours. The kheer is naturally sweet and creamy so you want a bit of tartness to balance the overall dessert.

Recipes by adventureswithsugar.com