Sütlaç – Turkish rice pudding

Step 1

Place the rice and water in a thick bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, then leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the water has almost evaporated, 10-15 minutes.

Step 2

Add all but a few tablespoons of the milk. Bring carefully to a boil, then leave to simmer over a low heat until the rice is completely soft, 20 minutes or longer, depending on the type of rice used. At this point it will look like there is far to little rice in the pudding.

Step 3

Add the sugar and stir well.

Step 4

Mix the corn starch with the remaining few tablespoons of milk. Add to the pot, stirring vigorously and constantly until completely mixed. Keep at a simmer while constantly stirring for 5 minutes. This will give the pudding enough time to thicken, and ensure there won't be any flavour left from the corn starch.

Step 5

Take off the heat and add the rose water. Stir well, then transfer to 4-6 serving dishes.

Step 6

Switch on the broiler of your oven. Place the individual serving dishes high in the oven (i.e. just below the heat source) and leave until the top is caramellised. This won't take long and you need to watch constantly – you want the surface to bubble up and caramellise, not burn.

Step 7

Leave to cool, then cover and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours. Serve cold, garnished with pistachios or dried rose petals.