Thai rice pudding – fragrant rice with lemon verbena

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 100 g rice (Thai fragrant rice)
• 1 liter of milk (whole milk)
• 80 g sugar, 20 leaves lemon verbena
• 1 piece(s) lemon(s) – peel (organic), untreated

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 10 minutes

exotic variation of a simple dessert

Bring the milk to a boil with the fragrant rice, sugar, and a large piece of lemon zest. Then reduce the heat to low. Add the lemon verbena leaves in a tea strainer and let them steep in the milk for 15 minutes, then remove. Cook the rice until the milk is almost completely absorbed and the rice is soft but not yet falling apart – this takes at least 40 minutes. Tip: I turn the heat down completely after about 30 minutes and let the rice finish cooking with the lid tightly closed. Once the cooking time is over, remove the lemon zest. I serve the rice with a fresh pineapple carpaccio, garnishing it with some lemon verbena leaves. Note: This rice is hearty – as a dessert with pineapple, the specified amount is enough for 6 people, and without the fruit after a light meal, it serves 4. Variation: Replace half the milk with coconut milk and add a piece of ginger instead of the lemon verbena.