Rozz bil Hleeb

Rice Pudding

This is served in a communal dish in Moroccan households, and eaten with a spoon. The topping can vary – usually dabs of butter are placed on the warm pudding, but chopped toasted almonds, or raisins and honey as in the recipe, can also be used.

SERVES 8

110 g (4 oz/½ cup) short-grain rice

1125 ml (39 fl oz/4½ cups) milk

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons orange flower water

55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

55 g (2 oz/½ cup) ground almonds

2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)

¼ teaspoon natural almond extract

2 tablespoons honey

Put the rice in a large heavy-based saucepan with 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed.

Set aside 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) of the milk. Stir 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) of the remaining milk into the rice, bring to a simmer, and when the rice has absorbed the milk, add another 250 ml (9 fl oz/ 1 cup) milk. Continue to add the remaining milk in this manner, ensuring each addition of milk is absorbed before adding the next. The rice should be very soft in 30 minutes, with the final addition of milk barely absorbed.

Meanwhile, steep the raisins in 2 teaspoons of the orange flower water for 15 minutes.

Mix the sugar with the ground almonds to break up any lumps in the almonds. Stir into the rice mixture and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes. Mix the cornflour with the reserved milk until smooth and stir into the rice. When thickened, simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the almond extract and the remaining orange flower water. Stir the pudding occasionally to cool it a little.

Pour the pudding into a serving bowl and when a slight skin forms on the top, sprinkle with the soaked raisins and drizzle with honey. Cool completely before serving in individual bowls.

As ready-prepared ground almonds can be lumpy, mix with the sugar to break up lumps.