The mango and fresh basil add a sweet, refreshing flavour to this creamy rice pudding. Shredding fresh basil leaves is simple when you stack or roll them together, then use a knife to slice them into thin slivers.
Coconut Rice Pudding Parfait With Mango and Basil
625 ml (2 1/2 cups) water
Pinch salt
250 ml (1 cup) long-grain white rice (such as jasmine or basmati)
500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
1 can (398 ml/14 oz) coconut milk
50 ml ( 1/4 cup) packed light brown sugar
50 ml ( 1/4 cup) granulated sugar
14 fresh basil leaves
2 large firm, ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and finely chopped
30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice
In a large, heavy saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add rice, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat and let rice stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Stir milk, coconut milk and both sugars into rice. Bring mixture just to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, stirring frequently at first and constantly toward the end, for about 30 minutes or until mixture is thick and creamy and rice is very soft.
Transfer rice to a bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring frequently to keep a skin from forming.
Refrigerate rice pudding, tightly covered, for at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled and set.
To serve, cut 6 of the basil leaves into fine shreds. In a medium bowl, stir together mango, shredded basil and lime juice.
Spoon a layer of 125 ml ( 1/2 cup) rice pudding into each of 8 short glasses. Add 30 ml (2 tbsp) of the mango mixture to each, then top with about 50 ml ( 1/4 cup) pudding. Finish with a final layer of 30 ml (2 tbsp) of the mango mixture.
Garnish each serving with a whole basil leaf.
Makes 8 servings.
Source: "Luscious Creamy Desserts" by Lori Longbotham (Chronicle Books, 2008).
