Ferni rice milk pudding, a Gilan specialty

Ingredients

• 250 g of high-quality Iranian rice
• approximately 720 ml of water
• 120 ml of rose water
• 160 grams of sugar
• 800 ml of milk
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• Poppy seeds and ground cinnamon for decoration

Soak the rice for 24 hours in water. Rinse it several times and mix it with 2-3 tablespoons of rose water until you achieve a stretchy texture. Be careful not to add too much rose water or water, as this will make the rice lose its elasticity.

Pour the rice mixture into a container and gradually add water, until you achieve a consistency similar to a thin milk, well diluted.

Pour commencer, pour this mixture into a very fine muslin cloth or a tightly woven fabric, placed over a bowl. Do this slowly so that the fabric doesn’t slip into the bowl. Gather the edges of the fabric and press to extract the rice milk. Repeat 2-3 times, until only a small amount of rice starch remains. The more rice you use, the more times you will need to repeat this process.

Pour commencer, pour the rice milk in a saucepan, place it over very low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Do not stop stirring at any point: if you do, the mixture will quickly become lumpy.

Once the rice is cooked and has cooled slightly (after about 4 minutes), gradually add the milk while continuing to stir.

After 10 to 15 minutes, when the smell of raw rice has dissipated, add the sugar and rose water. Stir until the surface begins to form ridges, creating large bubbles and thickening. Then add the cardamom and stir again.

Remove from the heat and immediately pour into prepared serving dishes. Garnish with poppy seeds and cinnamon.