I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things about the holidays is all the yummy food! I love trying out new dessert recipes that friends and family members share and also challenge myself to Veganize Puerto Rican recipes. First up is: Vegan Arroz con Dulce!
Dairy-free | Soy-free | Gluten-free
It’s finally December! My classes are finally over and I’m one step closer to finish my Masters. As soon as my classes ended I made my way to Mexico City, so while you’re reading this, I’m working on the next Vegan Travel Guide! And also eating my weight in tacos…
However, December also means that it’s time to veganize all of my favorite traditional recipes and master them so that you & I don’t have to miss out where the heart of the party is. Puerto Rico’s Christmas cuisine is amazing! There are so many recipes ranging from appetizers to dessert. And today I’m bringing you the vegan recipe of one of our classics: Arroz con Dulce.
The literal translation of this is “sweet rice”, but in a not literal way, Arroz con Dulce is a sweet rice pudding. Traditionally made with a combination of evaporated milk and coconut milk, this recipe only has coconut milk! Also, Arroz con Dulce is one of those desserts that you have to make in big batches, if not, you’ll be left without it because your family & friends will devour every bit of it.
Although Arroz con Dulce is super easy to make, the process takes a bit of time. However, it’s absolutely delicious and it makes a good amount for you to share. It’s a very similar process to making Risotto, so patience is key.
Notes:
- Even though the ground flaxseed is optional, I believe this is what gives it the soft yet compact texture.
- If you don’t like raisins, try adding other dry berries instead. Ex. cranberries, goji berries…
- Always use organic sugar to make sure that it’s vegan.
- Lifehack: That tea is also good for fighting the flu, colds and sometimes bellyaches.
- I prefer to let the rice soak through the day for a good 6-12 hours and then cook it at night one day before serving; just because I believe that the longer that’s left on the fridge, the better the flavors mend together.
- Got leftovers? Even though this rarely happens, if you get leftovers, they’ll be good for about a week.
Recipe: Vegan Arroz con Dulce
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup short or medium grain rice
- 5 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cup sugar of choice, or to taste (I used brown sugar)
- 1 piece of ginger
- 10 cloves
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- Dash of salt
- ⅓ cup raisins, or to taste
- 2 tbsp non-dairy butter
- Ground cinnamon
- Optional: a dash of ground flaxseed
Procedure:
- Soak rice in water for about 6-12 hours, leave covered. This is best if you leave it overnight.
- In a boiling pot, add the 1 cup of water, crushed ginger, cloves & cinnamon. Boil to make tea for about 15 minutes. When ready strain to separate the tea, place aside. Save cinnamon sticks for later.
- Strain your soaked rice and place aside.
- To a rice cooking pot, add the tea, 4 cups of the coconut milk and dash of salt. Turn on the heat to high.
- When the tea-milk mixture is boiling, add the rice and lower the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
- Uncover, add ½ cup of coconut milk, stir in the sugar and dash of ground flaxseed. Cook to low heat for another 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Then add the other ½ cup of coconut milk and the non-dairy butter. When completely combined, add the raisins & take away from the heat.
- Place in a heat-safe container, top with dashes of ground cinnamon and allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge, covered. Optional: If you saved the cinnamon sticks from the tea, you can add them to the container too.
Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.
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