While flipping through The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook, a collection of family recipes passed down by arrivals at New York’s famous gateway for immigrants last century, I came across a recipe for Lebanese rice pudding.
Rooz Ib Haleeb, as its called in Arabic, is often prepared for special occasions, but it’s a wonderfully simple dessert: just rice, milk, sugar, and cornstarch, boiled on the stove for 30 minutes. The recipe, which was submitted to the cookbook’s author, Tom Bernardin, by California resident Georgianna Nicola Rishwain, is accompanied by a sweet story:
My grandmother, Nazeera Maloof Nicola, was one of those early immigrants in the early 1900s. She loved America with all her heart. She proudly flew the American flag and stood up and saluted every time she heard the Star Spangled Banner played on TV or the radio. This was made for festive occasions, especially Easter.
With my vegan friends and relatives in mind, I experimented with a dairy-free version that incorporates almond milk, a flavorful substitute for the dairy variety. I then played up the almond flavor, adding almond extract and topping the pudding with toasted, salted, cinnamon-infused almonds. I reduced the original recipe, which serves 8, by half, but feel free to use the original quantities.
Rice Pudding
1 quart (4 cups) almond milk
Heaping ⅓ cup rice
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of water
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Crunchy almond topping
½ cup almonds, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon vegetable oil, for coating
½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
½ to 1 teaspoon honey (use less or more depending on desired sweetness)
Generous pinch of sea salt
In a large saucepan, bring almond milk to a boil. Add rice and cook, uncovered, on medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and dissolved cornstarch, and stir until well combined. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, until rice is soft and pudding thickens. Pour in a storage container or directly into serving bowls, and let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine almonds, vegetable oil, cinnamon, honey, and sea salt in a small mixing bowl. Transfer to baking sheet or pan, and toast for 5-10 minutes, until golden and fragrant (be careful not to overbake or the almonds will burn.) Set aside to cool. Sprinkle over pudding when ready to serve, along with an additional, generous pinch of cinnamon and sea salt. Refrigerate leftover pudding, and store almond mixture at room temperature in an airtight container.
Yields 4 servings.
Liana’s Kitchen is a column by Astoria-based chef and foodie Liana Grey. Check out her food blog Bakerwithoutborders.
