Here’s a comforting, old-fashioned rice pudding recipe—simple, creamy, and the kind many families have been making for generations.
🍚 Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding (Stovetop)
🧾 Ingredients:
- ¾ cup short-grain rice (or basmati if that’s what you have)
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups milk (whole milk = creamier)
- ¼–½ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Optional:
- Raisins
- Crushed cardamom (great South Asian touch)
- Chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios)
👩🍳 Instructions:
1. Cook the rice
- In a pot, add rice + water
- Cook on medium heat until water is mostly absorbed
2. Add milk and simmer
- Pour in milk and reduce heat to low
- Stir frequently to prevent sticking
⏱️ Simmer for 20–30 minutes until thick and creamy
3. Sweeten and flavor
- Add sugar, salt, cinnamon
- Stir well and cook another 5–10 minutes
4. Finish it
- Turn off heat
- Stir in vanilla
- Add raisins or nuts if using
5. Serve
- Serve warm for comfort
- Or chill for a thicker, dessert-style pudding
💡 Tips for best results
- Stir often—this prevents burning and gives a creamy texture
- If it gets too thick, add a splash of milk
- It thickens more as it cools
🌿 Variations
- Creamier version: Replace 1 cup milk with cream
- Healthier version: Use less sugar or substitute with dates
- Traditional South Asian twist: Add cardamom + a few strands of saffron
🧠 Texture guide
- Want it thick like dessert? → Cook longer
- Want it soft and pourable? → Add more milk
If you want, I can also show you a baked (custard-style) rice pudding version—it has a totally different, richer texture.
