Christmas Finnish Rice Porridge (Riisipuuro)
Christmas porridge in Finland was traditionally prepared from grains like oat or barley, but this custom changed around the 19th century along with the import of rice and has remained the same since. Admittedly the rice does give a much softer, creamier texture to the porridge.
This dessert is typically served topped with some cinnamon, sugar and butter, but there are plenty of other things to try as substitutes such as syrups and sweet berry compotes. Oh, and don’t forget to include a blanched almond in the porridge. Whoever finds the almond in their dish is said to have good fortune the following year!
Enjoy! : )
Christmas Finnish Rice Porridge (Riisipuuro)
If you serve porridge on Christmas Eve, remember to hide the almond among the rice porridge at the end. Whoever finds an almond on their plate will “have good fortune”.
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 300 ml water
- 150 g short grain rice
- 700 ml whole milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- butter to taste
- 2 tbsp sugar or to taste
- 1 almond optional
Optionally:
- cinnamon for sprinkling on top, or any sweet topping of your choice
- 2 tbsp blueberry sauce
- 2 tbsp raisin sauce
Bilberry(Blueberry) Sauce:
- 400 g bilberries fresh or frozen
- 200 ml water
- 150 g sugar
Instructions
How to Make Rice Porridge:
- Sometimes preparing rice porridge can be a bit risky, since the milk protein and the rice starch make for a sticky combination that's prone to burning. To avoid that as much as possible, use a non stick pan of some kind (or a thick-bottomed saucepan) and remember to stir every so often!
- Begin with placing 300 ml (1 ⅓ cups) of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 150 g (3/4 cup) porridge rice and salt to the pot and simmer, stirring often, until the rice has absorbed the water. Then pour in the milk.
- Once the milk too, has started to boil, lower the heat to minimum and cover the pan. Cook for another 40-60 minutes, returning to the pan often to stir.
- You should get a smooth and soft-textured porridge, just the rice consistency for pouring and not too thick.
- Take off the heat and stir in the sugar and butter to your liking.
- To serve, scoop the hot porridge out into individual serving bowls or ramekins and top with either a sprinkle of cinnamon or whatever topping of your choice and dig in!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for about 2 days.
How to Make Bilberry (Blueberry) Sauce:
- Put the bilberries, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, crushing the berries with a spoon or a pounder.
- Cook the mixture for a few minutes, then strain it through a fine sieve. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
