Egyptian Rice Pudding with Clotted Cream
Rice pudding catches or turns gluey for two reasons: the rice went into the milk raw, so it needed a long time and the milk stuck to the base, and not enough stirring. Parboil the rice in water first, then add the milk with steady stirring.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Calories
- 260
Photo: Bukky658 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
This is the best-known Egyptian home dessert and one of the cheapest. Whether it comes out creamy or rubbery is decided in the very first step — before the milk goes anywhere near the pot.
Method
-
1
Parboil the rice
Rinse the rice and simmer it in a cup of water over low heat until it absorbs the water and is half cooked, about 10 minutes. Cooking it in water first stops the milk sticking and scorching.
⏱ 12 min -
2
Add the milk
Add the milk and the pinch of salt and stir, then leave it over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every two minutes. The base catches quickly, so stirring is not optional.
⏱ 20 min -
3
The sugar
Add the sugar once the rice is fully tender and stir until dissolved. Sugar added early slows the rice down and keeps it firm.
⏱ 3 min -
4
The cornflour
Dissolve the cornflour in half a cup of cold milk until smooth, pour it in while stirring continuously, and give it 5 minutes to thicken.
⏱ 6 min -
5
Portion and chill
Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and divide it into bowls while hot. Let it cool, then 3 hours in the fridge, and top with clotted cream and pistachios before serving.
⏱ 5 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Parboiling the rice in water is what stops the milk sticking and burning on the base.
- Sugar goes in after the rice is tender, never before — early sugar keeps the grain firm.
- Always slake the cornflour in cold milk; dry cornflour on hot milk makes lumps you cannot remove.
- It thickens as it cools, so take it off the heat slightly looser than you want it.
People also ask
Why does rice pudding catch on the base?
The rice went into the milk raw and needed too long, or you did not stir enough. Parboil it in water to half done, then stir every two minutes once the milk is in.
Why did mine turn rubbery instead of creamy?
You used long-grain rice such as basmati. Short-grain Egyptian rice is higher in starch, breaks down and gives the creaminess; basmati keeps its grains separate and firm.
Can I make it without cornflour?
Yes, if you cook it long enough for the milk to reduce and thicken by itself — but that takes far longer and the risk of catching is higher. Cornflour is faster and more reliable.
Cook mode
Egyptian Rice Pudding with Clotted Cream
-
1
Parboil the rice
Rinse the rice and simmer it in a cup of water over low heat until it absorbs the water and is half cooked, about 10 minutes. Cooking it in water first stops the milk sticking and scorching.
-
2
Add the milk
Add the milk and the pinch of salt and stir, then leave it over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every two minutes. The base catches quickly, so stirring is not optional.
-
3
The sugar
Add the sugar once the rice is fully tender and stir until dissolved. Sugar added early slows the rice down and keeps it firm.
-
4
The cornflour
Dissolve the cornflour in half a cup of cold milk until smooth, pour it in while stirring continuously, and give it 5 minutes to thicken.
-
5
Portion and chill
Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and divide it into bowls while hot. Let it cool, then 3 hours in the fridge, and top with clotted cream and pistachios before serving.
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