Rose and Cardamom Rice Pudding Dairy-Free Recipe

A simple, gorgeously fragrant rice pudding made with coconut milkA simple, stovetop rice pudding made with coconut milk, studded with pistachios and gorgeously fragrant with rose and cardamom. Dairy-free nerd fact: rice pudding is synonymous with dairy now, but did you know that in medieval times it was made with almond milk?(Serves 4 with restaurant-size portions, as this pudding is rather rich)Couple of handfuls of unsalted pistachios1 tbsp coconut oil120g pudding rice400ml coconut milk200ml water50g golden caster sugar4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the back of a knife1/2 tsp rosewaterEdible rose petals (optional)

Toast the pistachios in a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat until golden. Keep a careful eye on them as they can burn quickly. Remove from the heat, transfer to a chopping board to cool, then roughly chop.Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a low-medium heat. Once melted, add the rice and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, pour in the coconut milk and water, then stir in the sugar and cardamom pods.Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the rice grains are tender and plumped up and the liquid has reduced by around half. Pour in a little more water if needed. Remove the cardamom pods, stir in the rosewater and fold in half of the chopped pistachios.Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then serve while still warm, decorated with the remaining chopped pistachios and a few edible rose petals, if using. Or leave to cool completely, chill in the fridge and serve cold.Rose and Cardamom rice pudding from Dairy Free Delicious by Katy Salter. Photograph: Laura Edwards/dairyfreedelicious.com