Turkish Style Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) Recipe

 

Homemade Rice Pudding

Turkish Baked Rice Pudding (Fırında Sütlaç)

We enjoyed custard and rice pudding, when we were little girls. If you enjoyed custard and rice pudding as a child, you will love our this recipe for baked rice pudding (sütlaç), known in Anatolia (Turkey) as "Fırın Sütlaç" (pronunciation: fur-UHN' soot-LAHCH'). We still enjoyed eating this special milky dessert, because we felt ourselves like a little girl eating mama's rice pudding again. 

In Turkey, adults and kids love this baked rice pudding and we cook this delicious dessert a lot. If you love light and creamy desserts, Turkish rice pudding (Sütlaç) recipe is really perfect dessert for you. It is creamy and rich with a golden top. 

In this post, we are going to share  our "Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) Recipe" with you. It is very special, old and traditional milky dessert.    

What is Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç)?

Turkish Cuisine (also Ottoman Cuisine) is popular for its milk-based desserts and "Turkish rice pudding or Sütlaç" is one of the most loved desserts in Turkey that you can find in many restaurants, patisseries and bakeries. There are even "Milk dessert shops" in Turkey, we called them "muhallebici" which sell all kinds of milk-based desserts from rice puddings to chocolate puddings, ashura puddings to caukdron-bottom dessert. Turks often make rice pudding/sütlaç at home in individual clay cups or ramekins.

In Turkish, we call Turkish Rice Pudding "Sütlaç" (pronunciation: soot-laahch). Turkish Rice pudding or Sütlaç is made with short grain rice (or long rice) milk and sugar. Is Rice Pudding/Sütlaç originally a Turkish dessert?

How to make sütlaç

Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) is an International Dessert

Turkish) Cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman Cuisine, which covers Central Asian, Balkans and Middle Eastern Cuisines. Anatolian (Turkish) Cuisine also influenced western European Cuisines. According to historians; Sütlaç is a traditional Turkish dessert that dates back to the Ottoman Empire. Furthermore, in the Diwan Lughat al-Turk (is the first comprehensive Turkish dictionary was written by the Turkih Philosopher Mahmut of Kasgar in 1074) Rice pudding or Sütlaç is defined as "Uwa" which means cold soup of rice and sugar. 

In 15th Century, it was known in Italian Cuisine as "Riso Turchesso : it means Turkish style rice dish or soup". At that times, Rice pudding or Sütlaç was a very luxury dessert because of the sugar was so expensive. For example: in 2. Ecole d'Este and Renée of France's (grandson of Pope Alexander VI. and daughter of King of France Louis XII.) wedding ceremony (1529). They served Sütlaç to their special guests. Italian renowned cook Cristoforo di Messisbugo mentioned it as "Turkish style rice, milk and sugar soup" in his famous cook-book (1549). And, Pope Pius V.'s famous cook Bartolomeo Scappi added this dessert in his foods menu because of Pope liked it. He described this dessert as "Turkish style rice dish with sprinkled sugar and cinnamon". Also, in 15th Century, this dessert's name placed the all medical books because of its ingredients covered the milk, rice and sugar. 

Briefly, we can say that rice pudding (sütlaç) is an international dessert. 

Riso Turchesso

How to Make Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç)!

This recipe is amazing, delicious and such a simple and easy-to-get ingredients. To make this recipe, you need just a few ingredients: Short grain rice (or long rice), fresh whole milk, vanilla , Sugar, corn or wheat starch.

Generally, Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) is best when made with fresh whole milk and cooled several hours before serving. It is made on the stove in a large and deep pot, then divided between oven safe bowls (usually made of clay) and baked in the oven until the tops are browned and settled. Then it is cooled in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Bye the way; our moms are always said that the tricks to making perfect rice pudding (sütlaç) are fresh milk, slow cooking, constant stirring, and lots of patience. Unlike many other similar milky desserts, this rice pudding (sütlaç) is actually baked in the oven so the top gets brown (or brownish) and set. It is always served cold and this baked rice pudding recipe is not overly sweet so it is not overwhelming at all and it is pretty light for its creamy texture. 

Vegan Rice Pudding for Vegatarians!

We have not tried vegan rice pudding (sütlaç) yet. But, we think that try it soon. This recipe is not vegan since we use whole milk. However, you can use coconut milk instead of the whole milk to make this into a vegan rice pudding (sütlaç) recipe. Sütlaç made with coconut milk will have a subtle coconut flavor as well. 

Recipe for Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç)

Turkish rice pudding is meant to be very creamy and nutritious. Therefore we don't suggest using low fat or non-fat milk to make this pudding since they won't deliver that creaminess. We always use short grain rice. But if you want, you can use long rice and use any brand or type but make sure it doesn't have a strong flavor. On the other hand, we don't recommend using basmati or jasmine rice for this recipe as they have more flavor and also have longer grains. 

This oven baked rice pudding (sütlaç) recipe is not overly sweet so it is not overwhelming at all and is pretty light for its creamy texture. 

If you want, you can refrigerate this dessert for up to 4 days. Here it is our rice pudding (sütlaç) recipe;

Very good family favourite;

Serve: 6-8 servings, Preparation Time: 30 minutes, Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes, Refrigerate Time: At least 3 hours, Calories: 200 kcal, Cuisine: Turkish - Mediterranean Cuisines, 

Ingredients: Rice, milk, vanillin, sugar, wheat starch
Clay pudding cups and a handful chopped hazelnuts

Ingredients: 

• 6 Clay pudding cups ramekins (or dessert cups, clay ramekins, or disposable aluminum pudding cups),
• 1/2 Cup short grain white rice, 
• 6,5 Cups whole milk, (nearly 1,5 liter),
• 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract, 
• 1 cup granulated sugar, 
• 3 Tablespoons Wheat starch (or corn starch, also you can use rice flour),
• A handful of roughly chopped Hazelnuts (or pisthocous) for topping, 

You can use Ovenproof dessert cups or clay pudding cups 

Wash rice well and then put it into large saucepan

Then Bring to a boil. Let the rice simmer gently 

Then add your 6 cups milk and stir.

Then add vanilla extract and stir

Than add sugar and stir constantly.

Meanwhile add wheat starch and rest of the milk
and mix well

Then add wheat starch mixture into rice mixture and stir

Then cook mixture until it thickens. When it is ready
remove it from the heat 

Then fill small clay cups with the hot pudding 

Fill all small clay pudding cups with the hot pudding

Then place your clay cups into oven tray

Then fill the oven tray halfway with the cold water
before the oven baking

Then place into oven and bake it for about 15 mins.

Or Bake until tops are nicely browned

Then remove desserts from the oven and let them 
cool at room temperature.

Then place them into refrigerator and refrigerate
at least 3 hours.

Then sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts and serve

Preparation:

1. First of all, put your all ingredients on your work surface. Then, rinse your rice until the water runs clear and then in a large saucepan, add your rice and enough water to cover it by about 1,25 cm (nearly 1/2 inch.) and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Let the rice simmer gently until it is softened, about 5-7 minutes. 
2. Then, add 6 cups milk, the sugar, and vanilla extract to the rice. And bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and let it boil very gently for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix wheatstarch and the remaining 1/2 cup whole milk to make a slurry. While stirring, gradually pour your milk-wheatstarch mixture into the rice and simmer over medium low heat for about 20-25 minutes until your mixture thickens. When the pudding thickens, continue to stir and cook for about 2 minutes more. 
3. Then, remove it from the heat and fill small, ovenproof clay pudding cups with the hot mixture. Then, place your clay pudding cups with puddings into oven tray and fill the oven tray halfway with water (this is to prevent the rice pudding (sütlaç) from drying and keep it creamy). Then, bake it in the oven at 200°C (nearly 400°F). Bake the rice pudding in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the tops are nicely browned. Please check constantly to make sure they don't burn. 
4. Once the rice pudding is cooked, let them cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for at least three hours before serving. 
5. Then sprinkle the roughly chopped hazelnuts and serve them after the dinner meals.

Enjoy! 

Please let us know how this "Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) Recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.

Homemade Rice Pudding - Sütlaç 

We recommend you to visit CURRY AND SPICE and Angie's Recipes. You can find really amazing and delicious recipes in these sites.  Also we visit Health and dynamic life site a lot. We really receive different and useful information from it. 

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