Rice-based dishes are among the most popular foods around the globe. Because rice is the second most-consumed cereal, it’s a main ingredient in the diet of many people throughout the world.
This food has many properties perfect for your health. Its carbohydrate contents provide energy to the human body. It also contains minerals such as calcium, iron, vitamin D, thiamine and riboflavin which are important nutrients. Moreover, its levels of saturated fats and cholesterol are very low, and that means a lot of benefits to the human body.
One ingredient, many cooking styles
As rice is a staple widely consumed in any country, there are thousands of recipes you can make with this versatile ingredient.
In Asian cuisine, rice is very popular and is generally accompanied by meats, some spices such as chili and curry, and vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, and chives. While in Europe, the most popular way to eat rice is risotto, which can be accompanied with mushrooms, meats, and cheese… and don’t forget a good wine.
Likewise, in Latin America, rice is served as a second course to accompany meats such as pork, chicken, and beef, many times including vegetables like in the famous dish Arroz a la Mexicana.
Traditions crossed the Atlantic
As a legacy of European ‒more specifically Spanish‒ colonization in America, Paella is widely popular in many of these countries. It consists of rice with saffron and can be served with seafood, chicken or beef.
And finally, among the most famous rice desserts is Arroz con Leche, as it is known in Spanish-speaking countries. It is a traditional dessert consumed all over the world, with different names: rice pudding in English-speaking countries, rizogalo in Greece, kheer or phirni in India.
Today we bring you a recipe that will make you adore rice-based desserts. We are talking about a tropical rice pudding: a sweetness accompanied by tropical fruits that will make your senses fly and make you feel as if you were in the Caribbean.
You can also try another good arroz con leche recipe by Mahatma® rice that won’t disappoint you.
Next, you’ll see the ingredients and how to prepare this flavorsome dessert.
Tropical rice pudding
Ingredients
For the topping
- 1½ cups (6.4 oz) of fresh mango chunks.
- 1½ cups (6.4 oz) of fresh pineapple chunks.
- 1 tbsp. of sugar.
- 2 tbsp. of shredded coconut.
For the rice pudding
- 4 cups of whole milk.
- 1 cup of long-grain white rice.
- ½ cup of granulated sugar.
- ½ tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg.
- ¼ tsp. of salt.
- 2 tsp. of vanilla extract.
- 2 peeled and chopped kiwis.
How to prepare
- Pour the mango, pineapple, and sugar into a saucepan. Heat until the fruit chunks and sugar mix begin to bubble. Then, cook over lower-heat for 12 minutes or until the fruit is soft and saucy, with some syrup around it. Transfer the fruit to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- In a clean saucepan, pour the coconut shred and toast it over low heat until the shredded coconut gets a golden brown color. Transfer them to a separate recipient and set aside.
- Add the milk, rice, nutmegs, sugar, salt, and vanilla to the saucepan. Heat up until boiling point and then lower down to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the rice is cooked, place it in a bowl and cover with paper or plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours along with the fruits.
- Once the rice and fruits are cooled, serve the rice and garnish with the pineapple mango sauce, kiwi chunks, and shredded coconut.
Tips
It is recommended to consume this dessert with the fruits as fresh as possible. If you want to store it in the refrigerator, you can keep it there for up to 3 days, while in the freezer, it will last for up to 3 weeks.
You can also use frozen mangos and pints to prepare this dessert. The important thing is that the fruits should be well preserved at the time of preparation so that they keep their flavor and do not decompose after a few days.
Make it healthier
You can replace some of its ingredients to make this dessert an even healthier meal: substitute the whole milk for coconut milk, almond milk, or soy milk. Also, if you use light brown sugar, it will be better, since it’s a more natural, less processed ingredient.
