Family recipe: My mom's sweet rice

Food blogger Kirosha Kamal is sharing her mother’s special sweet rice recipe.

“She’s been making sweet rice like this for ages and honestly, it’s my favourite version. I especially love this recipe because it’s simple, not super rich and still delicious,” she says.

The recipe could not have come at a better time. Hindus across the country are celebrating Varalakshmi Vratam (Lakshmi Pooja) on Friday (August 24).

“Hindus offer this dish of sweet rice (and others) during auspicious Hindus festivals. It’s not uncommon to cook it on an ordinary day and serve as a dessert for family and friends,” says Kirosha.

On that note, here’s a look at how you can make this delicious sweet rice, courtesy of Kirosha’s Kitchen.

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Ingredients

500g of white rice (not the rice used for everyday cooking, but rather the short grain one that’s used for rice pudding)
300-350g of butter (You can use more if you would like it to be richer)
1 litre of full cream milk
1 and a half cups of white sugar
2 tablespoons of sultanas/almonds
4 pods of elaichi/cardamom stamped ever so slightly. (You can also use about half a teaspoon of cardamom powder if you can’t find the pods)
Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Start by washing the white rice in warm water and drain. You can soak the rice for about an hour, but mum and I generally don’t.

2. Next, cook the rice with boiling water and a pinch of salt for about 10-15 minutes. Water can be just a little over the rice, not drowning in it.

3. Now add half of the milk to a pot and simmer on low heat. Once the milk starts to reduce, add the rest and let it continue cooking on a low heat.

4. When the rice is soft you can add the butter, sugar and sultanas/almonds and stir.

5. Cook for another 5-10 minutes on low heat and then turn off the stove.

6. For some prayers, we let the sweet rice cool, make into balls and sprinkle a handful of the raw white rice that was just a into a powder using a coffee grinder (see the picture of me above for the process). Otherwise, dish up in bowls to offer to deities or your guests, depending on the occasion.

Tip: Always cook on low heat and be patient. A good sweet rice takes time (sometimes about 40 minutes or so) so cook it as you’re busy with other tasks but do keep an eye to make sure it’s not getting burnt.

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