Coconut Rice Pudding with Caramelized Bananas

Coconut Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding is the ultimate comfort food for the family. In its very simple form it makes everyone in our household happy. This coconut version, make that this coconut vegan version hits the top of the list, and over the weekend I gilded the lily by topping the soft smooth comforting pudding with warm caramelized maple bananas. I decided to write this up as an afterthought, but sometimes hindsight is a good idea.

My Coconut Rice Pudding Story

While not quite payesh (traditional Bengali rice pudding). Some my grandmother used to have for me anytime I visited her after college. It is however comforting and soothing. Offering a weeknight vibe. Practical and flavorful.

Coconut Banana Rice Pudding

Culinary Connections with my mother

Lately, my mother has taken to reworking some my recipes these days (apparently for the reputation of Indian cooking). I do not really cook like her. She is very much a purist. But these days when we are together we often cook together.  Today is about finding comfort in this bowl of soft and gently sweetened bowl of coconut rice pudding. Something that I put together working with my mother.

This rice pudding is made from a combination of coconut milk and almond milk. It is light and vegan. The topping is made from grilled bananas. A new way to use up the ripe bananas that I always seem to have hanging around our house. Giving banana bread a break. In fact, all of this together almost makes this dessert suitable for breakfast in my books, well, if you enjoy it I will not tell. Breakfast or not, at all times this simple comforting pudding calls our time.

Now, this is incredibly easy to put together it just needs some time, and although there is the slow cooker, for this version I have found that I get a better texture from slow stove top cooking for a couple of hours.

There were many reasons why I felt just a tiny bit down and under, and no it has nothing to with the fact that summer is on its way out. Call me weird but I am the quintessential fall person, I like everything about the season. This rice pudding waiting for me, cheered me up considerably, spooning it down with the brood, almost felt like someone singing Bridge Over Troubled Water to me. Just almost.

 

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Coconut Rice Pudding with Caramelized Bananas

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes

A simple and comforting rendition of classic rice pudding, this variation with coconut is vegan and has a nice and earthy depth of flavor and is accented with caramelized bananas.

Ingredients

  • For the Rice Pudding
  • 3/4 cup of rice (I used Jasmine Rice)
  • 2 cups of coconut milk
  • 4 cups of almond milk
  • 6 cardamoms
  • 3/4 cup sugar
    • For the bananas
  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Place the rice, coconut milk and almond milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring to a simmer.
  2. Gently bruise the cardamoms and add to the simmering pot.
  3. Let the pudding cook until the mixture is thick and the rice is very soft, almost dissolved into the milk mixture, this takes about 2 hours and just needs occasional stirring during the process.
  4. Add in the sugar and cook for about 10 more minutes.
  5. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  6. To make the caramelized bananas, slice the bananas into 1/2 inch thick slices about 2 inches long. Toss with the maple syrup and arrange on a pie dish. Broil the bananas on low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes until they are golden brown. Keep checking the bananas, as they are very high in sugar and can burn easily.
  7. Once the rice pudding is done, to serve place in bowls, top with a few slices of the bananas and enjoy.

Notes

There is minimal attention needed for the pudding while it cooks.

https://spicechronicles.com/coconut-rice-pudding-with-caramelized-bananas/

 

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