This was just before it was ready.Īdd one cup of milk, the lemon rind, the cinnamon stick, and salt. This essentially pre-cooks the rice a bit before adding the milk to soften the rice more. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the rice starts to absorb the water. Place the rice and a cup of water in a small to medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Rinse the rice in cool water and allow it to drain.
I’ve heard from Spanish grandmothers that you should stir it “constantly” to make it creamy. The hardest thing about it is that it needs to be monitored and stirred frequently. This easy arroz con leche recipe is made in one pot on the stove top.
How To Make Arroz Con LecheĬooking the rice pudding in milk, waiting for it to thicken I recommend a 1/4 cup, but you should add it a bit at a time, stir, and taste until it’s the right sweetness for you. The salt helps to bring all of the flavors together and won’t result in a salty taste. The only other seasoning is a touch of salt and sugar. It is better to use a cinnamon stick rather than ground cinnamon, which will turn the rice brown when it is being cooked. You can also add a bit of lemon zest if you’d like. The lemon rind should be wide, but not include any pulp and minimal white. The rice pudding is cooked with a big slice of lemon rind and a cinnamon stick. The whole milk in this recipe is preferred because it makes the rice super creamy. You can use low-fat milk, but you might need to add a bit more during the cooking process. The rice is cooked in a combination of water and whole milk. Once you’ve chosen your rice, the rest of the ingredients are pretty simple. Other types of rice can be used, like risotto rice or arborio rice. It is often marketed in the US as paella rice. It’s a short, almost stubby, rice that provides a nice texture for a rice pudding. We always used bomba rice because it was locally grown in Catalonia, where we lived. When it comes to how to cook arroz con leche the traditional Spanish way, I prefer to use the rice available in Spain. You might need to use a bit more water or milk or adjust the cooking time if using long-grain rice, though. In the end, any white rice you have at home would work for this arroz con leche recipe. Rinsing the bomba rice in cold water before cooking Arroz Con Leche Recipe – Spanish Rice Pudding The most common desserts served as part of the menu were rice pudding, flan, and crema Catalan, particular where we lived in Catalonia. The menu del dia is a three course meal served mostly for lunch at a reduced rate.
It is often served as a dessert at traditional restaurants, particular as part of the menu del dia. I started making this recipe when we lived in Spain. Although arroz con leche translates to rice with milk, it’s really a cinnamon rice pudding. There are Spanish versions and Mexican versions and even Portuguese versions.