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3/4 cup rice flour (150 g)
In a little bowl, mix the rice flour with a cup of the cold milk, adding it gradually and mixing thoroughly to avoid lumps. Bring the rest of the milk to the boil in a pan. Pour the rice flour and milk mixture in, stirring vigorously, then cook on very low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens. If you don't stir every so often, the milk will thicken unevenly and form lumps.
Let the cream cook gently for a few minutes more (in all, 15-20 minutes). Stir in the sugar and cook until dissolved. Stir with a wooden spoon, being careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan, because the cream always sticks and burns at the bottom, and you want to leave that part behind, untouched. The cream might seem too light, but it does thicken when it cools. Pour into a large bowl or into small individual ones and serve cold.
Flavoring Variations:
For a Judeo-Spanish version from Turkey: Boil the milk with a stick of vanilla or add a few drops of vanilla extract or the zest of 1/2 lemon. Serve sprinkled with 1 tsp. cinnamon.
Cardamom - a popular flavoring with Indian, Iraqi, and Iranian Jews (and the author's favorite): Add 1 tsp. ground cardamom and 1 tbsp. rose water a few minutes before the end of cooking.
Variation: Instead of rice flour, you can use cornstarch or a mixture of rice flour and cornstarch.
Posted by Nancy Berry
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
5-1/2 cups cold milk (1-1/4 liters)
1/2 cup sugar (100g)
The most common way to flavor this pudding is to add 1 to 2 tbsp. orange-blossom or rose water towards the end of the cooking and to garnish with a sprinkling of chopped almonds and pistachios.