Creative Dining for One: Chocolate Red Rice Pudding

NEW YORK, New York

Remember that red rice I keep talking about? I made far too much of it last week, and it gets pretty tough when cold. The best things to do with leftover rice are to make fried rice and rice pudding. Since I had already made the savoury, it was time for the sweet.

Chocolate Red Rice Pudding

1.5 cups leftover cooked red rice
3.5 cups milk, I used 2%
1/4-1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
generous 1/4 cup chocolate shavings (didn't have chocolate chips, but I'm sure that would work too)

Dump all ingredients in saucepan on high heat. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low so the mixture simmers. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes or until most of the milk is absorbed and the pudding is creamy. Serve hot or cold, plain or topped with berries.

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This was really, really delicious. The red rice made it seem even more chocolatey than regular chocolate rice pudding since the color was closer to that lovely chocolate brown. I used some really nice unsweetened drinking chocolate that I'm trying to finish off for the chocolate, and I would strongly recommend this because it kept things from being too sweet. If you used chocolate chips, decreasing the amount of sugar used would probably be a good idea given their inherent sweetness. All in all, making this pudding was stupidly easy. The only thing you have to remember is to not let the milk boil in an attempt to make it evaporate more quickly - slow and steady wins the rice.

(Sorry about that - I couldn't help myself.)

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If you're wondering why I'm writing so much about cooking lately, there are three reasons: heat, frugality and availability. It has been above 90 every day in New York for the last several days, and being outside just drains me, so I stay in. Since living in New York is so very expensive, it is far easier - and much more fun and creative - to cook at home than to go out, as tempting as that is. Besides, once I get to Beijing this fall, there will be no cooking whatsoever, so I'm trying to take full advantage of having my own kitchen for a little while.