Nourishing Rice Pudding
This nourishing rice pudding recipe makes an excellent snack, dessert or sweet breakfast choice. Specifically designed on my quest to research and develop combinations of traditional comforting favourites with ayuvedic principles to balance vata dosha.
These principles are especially helpful for aiding with digestion, supporting mental wellbeing and nourishing the body. There isn’t anything particularly difficult to access in this recipe and this nourishing rice pudding recipe contains no buzz word superfood ingredients.
It’s well worth making as a gesture of love to share with friends or for yourself. The warm spices and creamy textures are comforting and the pudding leaves you feeling satisfied without being too dense or heavy. It’s easy to adapt for most dietary requirements by substituting the milk used. It can be made vegan, gluten, dairy, nut and egg free. To cover off on all of these bases, there is the option to use a pea or bean based plant milk.
For more nourishing recipes, please head over to the dedicated postpartum recipes page. This recipe also forms part of our snack recipe collection if you’re looking for more general inspiration.
Nourishing Maple Rice Pudding with Chia Berry Jam
First prep the chia jam by heating the frozen berries in the microwave until just bubbling. Mash the berries and stir in the chia seeds. Set aside while you prepare the pudding.
You may need to add a little water or maple syrup to thin this out once it's set up if there isn't much juice from the berries.
Combine the Rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the water is nearly all absorbed, but not quite.
Measure out the milk, mix 1tbsp with the cornstarch to form a paste and then whisk that paste back into the measured milk.
Add the milk & cornstarch mixture, maple syrup, spices and a pinch of salt to the pot with the rice.
Mix well over medium heat with a heatproof/silicone spatula to combine, then reduce heat to keep it at a simmer - stirring as it thickens.
Continue cooking until the mixture noticeably thickens, once this starts it will happen quite quickly. Check that the rice pudding is at your desired consistency and then spoon into serving glasses.
Top each serving with a spoonful of the chia berry jam prepared in step 1.
Serve warm or refrigerate to set up further.
Ingredients
Directions
First prep the chia jam by heating the frozen berries in the microwave until just bubbling. Mash the berries and stir in the chia seeds. Set aside while you prepare the pudding.
You may need to add a little water or maple syrup to thin this out once it's set up if there isn't much juice from the berries.
Combine the Rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the water is nearly all absorbed, but not quite.
Measure out the milk, mix 1tbsp with the cornstarch to form a paste and then whisk that paste back into the measured milk.
Add the milk & cornstarch mixture, maple syrup, spices and a pinch of salt to the pot with the rice.
Mix well over medium heat with a heatproof/silicone spatula to combine, then reduce heat to keep it at a simmer - stirring as it thickens.
Continue cooking until the mixture noticeably thickens, once this starts it will happen quite quickly. Check that the rice pudding is at your desired consistency and then spoon into serving glasses.
Top each serving with a spoonful of the chia berry jam prepared in step 1.
Serve warm or refrigerate to set up further.
Notes
Recipe Notes
The rice pudding mixture will form a skin if left uncovered. The chia berry layer stops this from happening in the fridge.
If you aren’t adding this layer, you can press cling film down to the surface of the pudding to create an airtight seal and stop the tough layer from forming.
The chia berry “jam” isn’t as sweet as jarred preserves would normally be, as there is no added sugar in this nourishing rice pudding. The best substitute would be a thick fruit puree.
This pudding mixes really well with peanut butter protein powder if you wish to increase the protein per serving. Vegan protein thickens the pudding considerably.
Whey powder isn’t reccomended because it makes the consistency much looser.
Key Ingredients
