Rice pudding with plum compote

Creamy vegan pudding with spicy plum compote

If it's Friday, it is sure time for a treat. I was looking for something simple, easy to make, with not a lot of dancing around it. I wanted something comforting.

I often look back to my childhood memories, to find something warming and cosy. With a happy hearth of a careless child I remembered my mother's rice pudding and wheat semolina pudding creations. How I liked those creamy treats!

I had a small basket of plums for 2 weeks now, maybe three. They were still hard and I gave up the hope that they will become soft one day. Cooking should will make them soft. Perfect to flavour a rice pudding.

You will need: (makes 3-4)
2/3 cup pudding rice
a small basket of plums (8 to 10 pieces)
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp ground almond
2.5 cups coconut milk (Koko Dairy Free Original + Calcium) or other plant milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground vanilla pod
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp xylitol (birch sugar)
1 tbsp coconut palm sugar (unrefined coconut blossom nectar)

1. Bring the coconut milk to boil, add the desiccated coconut and the ground almond, stir in the well rinsed and drained rice. When it boils up again, reduce the teat to minimum and gently simmer, stirring occasionally.

2. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones, cut the plum flesh into cubes. Put the coconut palm sugar into a pan, add the plums and start to cook over a low heat. When it bubbles add the cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Cover with a lid and gently simmer, stirring occasionally (not so hard and not too many times, we do not want to end up with a plum mush), just gently scrape the bottom of the pan.

3. When most of the milk evaporated from the rice it will need more frequent stirring. Gentle but definite. When the rice is done, the pudding is creamy and the grain is tender, cover with a lid and let is rest for 5 mins.

4. You know your plum is ready when the fruit is soft but not falling apart, and the liquid is thick(ish). The colour from the skin tints the flesh. Gently stir in the xylitol and after a minute remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid and let it rest for 5 mins.

5. Scoop some plum compote into glasses, add the rice and top with the plum compote again. You can sprinkle with extra cinnamon or coconut palm sugar. Find a comfy spot on your sofa and dig in!

Tips: You can use any fruit you like: apples or pears, for example, something that improves with cooking and smoothens the pudding.