Chai Spiced Brown Rice Pudding

Everything is a bit sad, wobbly, and shaky in January. 

The look your Christmas tree gives you just before you decide to take it to be recycled at the tip.  The mince pie baby that I am currently hiding under my jumper. That shaky, squiggle your handwriting does when you remember that it's 2014 and not 2013 when writing the date. That 'back to work' face everyone pulled last week. The realisation that it's not actually at all ok anymore to eat cheese and biscuits for breakfast. 

The best way to get through it is to wrap yourself up warm. From the inside. Specifically, with a bowl of this chai spice rice pudding.

Serves two

Ingredients

200gr brown rice

Pinch of salt

400ml semi skimmed milk

100ml double cream

1 black tea bag

4tbsp honey

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2tsp ground ginger

3 cloves

3 cardamom pods

1/2 cinnamon stick

1tbsp coconut oil (or butter)

Toasted walnuts for serving (optional)

Method

1, Bring a medium sized saucepan with 1 litre of water to the boil with a pinch of salt.  Rinse the rice well in cold water and add to the boiling water.  Turn down to a low/medium heat and simmer for 30mins, stirring occasionally. 

2, Drain the rice and place in a bowl and cover tightly. 

3, In another saucepan, add the remaining ingredients except the coconut oil/butter and bring that up to a gentle boil.

4, Immediately lower the heat, remove the tea bag, and add in the cooked rice and stir well.  Stir in the coconut oil/butter here.

5, This will need a further 30-40mins of gentle simmering, being stirred occasionally until it has thickened. 

6, Serve hot or cold with toasted walnuts.