CARAWAY PUDDING

Caraway pudding is a Middle Eastern dessert that is traditionally served to celebrate a baby's birth, because it is believed to be very nutritious and to increase nursing women's milk supply. This sweet pudding is easy, quick and full of flavor with a hint of spice and a crunch of nuts, and you can have it anytime of year! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup rice flour

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

• 1/4 cup caraway powder

• 6 cups of water, room temperature

• Mixed unflavored raw nuts (almonds, pistachios, pine nuts and walnuts)

• Shredded coconut 

PREPARATION

1. In a bowl, combine the shredded coconut with the mixed nuts and put aside without soaking them.

2. In another bowl, mix the rice flour, sugar, cinnamon and caraway powder until thoroughly combined.

3. Place in a pot with 6 cups of room temperature water and whisk until the ingredients are well-combined. 

4. Place pot over over medium heat and stir until the mixture starts to thicken, about 20 to 30 minutes of continuous stirring.

5. Once it gets thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon and doesn’t easily fall off, it can be removed from the heat. One way to know if it has thickened enough is to dip a spoon into it and using a finger leave a mark on the spoon. If the mark remains and does not dissolve, then it is ready.

6. Equally prepare the mixture into prepared individual cups and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

7. Top it with the mixture of nuts and coconuts before serving (some prefer to have it without any nuts).

Notes:
Even though the mixture may not seem thick enough, but as long as it is coating the back of a spoon then it is ready since it will solidify more once refrigerated. 

This recipe will yield 10-11 servings depending on size of cups used. To double that amount, simply double the quantity of only the rice and sugar.

Some like to eat this dessert hot with more of a soup consistency and they call it 'meghli' (i.e. boiling), but I prefer it cold.

Also, some like to soak their nuts before using them, but I personally don’t like the taste of the nuts after they’ve been soaked because you lose the crunchiness.