The magic of rice — Ines Peyret

Rice is definitely magic: Buddha himself would say so.

When he was just Siddhârta Gautama, a lonesome ascetic looking for illumination, meditating and fasting on the river bank, he was terribly skinny and in very poor condition. Feeling sorry for him, a ravishing young woman decided to bring him some food. She made a lovely rice pudding with milk from her cows, sugar and spices. She poured the mixture in a golden bowl and offered it to Siddhârta, who was delighted. Energized by this mouthwatering meal, the dear boy decided to wash himself in the river. When he was all cleaned up, he threw the bowl in the river and said: « If I am to become a buddha, let the bowl float upstream. If not, let it float downstream. » The bowl floated upstream, right in the middle of the river. Thanks to this exquisite pudding, Siddhârta became Buddha, and rice pudding conquered the world.

Most countries welcomed it with open arms and made it their own speciality by adding different spices, raisins, almonds, pistachios and other nuts, fruit, caramel, rosewater, chocolate, etc.

It is also a true literary recipe, cited by most famous authors, from Confucius to Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. May be because it is easy to make, homely and not terribly expensive. The secret to make it unforgettable is the quality of the ingredients you use.

In a pretty saucepan, put 90 gr black rice – previously rinsed and soaked in cold water for a couple of hours or more –,1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 pinch of salt, 2 cardamom pods and 650 ml of coconut milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or more, until the rice is tender. Stir frequently. When the mixture is creamy and soft, turn off the heat, put a lid on the pan and leave it for 10 minutes. Transfer to a beautiful bowl, decorate this wonder with mango slices and finger lime pearls. Cut a finger lime in half crosswise and scrape the cute little beads on your creation. Close your eyes and savour this divine dish thinking of Buddha.

We can’t guarantee you’ll find illumination, but we promise this pudding will be a major hit with your significant other.