Arroz en Leche Salvadoreño
A creamy and comforting Salvadoran-style rice pudding, often flavored with cinnamon and citrus zest, served warm or chilled.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Servings6
DifficultyEasy
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 2 cups Water
- 4 cups Milk
- 3/4 cup Granulated sugar(or to taste)
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- for garnish Ground cinnamon
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed.
- 2
Add the milk, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and lemon zest to the saucepan. Stir well.
- 3
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Cook for about 30-35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the pudding has thickened to your desired consistency.
- 4
Remove from heat. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- 5
Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with ground cinnamon before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Stirring frequently is key to achieving a creamy texture and preventing the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- ✓Adjust the sugar to your preference. You can also add a touch of condensed milk for extra richness.
- ✓For a smoother consistency, you can blend a small portion of the cooked rice with some of the liquid and then stir it back into the pudding.
🔄 Variations
- Add raisins during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Incorporate a splash of evaporated milk for a richer flavor.
- Use orange zest instead of lemon zest for a different citrus note.