Risgrøt/ Norwegian rice pudding ~~ Norwegian Cuisine

After Moroccan cuisine, let me take you all to an another European tour, yes we are landing today to Norway. Am running a month of long blogging marathon with world cuisine starting with alphabets as theme, today for the alphabet 'N', am taking you all to Norwegian cisine. Most Norwegians eat three or four regular meals a day, usually consisting of a cold breakfast with coffee, a cold,usually packed lunch at work and a hot dinner at home with the family. Depending on the timing of family dinner, some may add a cold meal in the late evening, typically a simple sandwich.The basic Norwegian breakfast consists of milk or fruit juice, coffee or more rarely tea, and open sandwiches with meat cuts, spreads, cheese or jam. Cereals such as corn flakes, muesli and oatmeal are also popular, particularly with children.A meal that is eaten between 4-6pm. This is the meal that is considered the "warm" meal of the day. The rest of the meals served throughout the day are generally cold. Some foods eaten at this time would be fish with boiled potatoes and vegetables.Bread is an important staple food of Norwegian diet. A soft bread called lefse made out of potato,milk or lemonade and flour is very popular here. Cheese are extremely popular in Norway, many varieties of traditional products are available.

Today am posting one of the famous Norwegian rice pudding called Risgrot,this pudding or porridge is prepared during the day of Christmas eve. This Risgrot goes for white rice cooked along in milk, salt, sugar and vanilla makes this delicious pudding. While serving, this pudding is served along with cinnamon, sugar and a dollop of butter in the center. This dish is also called as Riskrem in which whipped cream is added to the already prepared rice porridge,and this Riskrem will be mildly sweetened and fluffy,served with red berry sauce.However this rice porridge or rice pudding is eaten thoroughout the year in Norway and its quite a typical saturday lunch for families throughout the country.This pudding/porridge goes for simple ingredients and can be prepared easily in stove top, but the cooking time may be bit time consuming but its definitely worth to try this dish. Some add raisins in this pudding and some may not, since i love raisins i tried adding them, the addition of these raisins brings a mild sweetness to this dish.

Recipe Source : The Country Basket
1+1/2cup Rice (broken basmati rice works wonder)
3cup Water
5cup Whole milk
2tbsp Castor sugar
1tsp Salt
2tsp Vanilla sugar  or vanilla extract
2tbsp Raisins

Cook the rice in simmer in water in a heavy pot, covered and stirring occasionally, on low heat until most of the water is absorbed. This will take approximately 10 minutes.

Add 1/2cup of milk, continuing to add more over the next 45-60 minutes while simmering on low heat. Stir well every five minutes .

Add more milk whenever the porridge thickens as the milk absorbs, until rice is nicely tender and porridge is thick and creamy.

Add sugar, salt, and vanilla powder, raisins stir well and serve while hot.

If vanilla powder is not available, you may use vanilla extract; however, this brown liquid will change the color of the porridge and it will not be as white as it should be.

If the porridge gets too thick, add more milk to thin it.

Serve in bowls and sprinkle with cinnamon and white sugar, and a dab of butter in the center.

Leave leftovers in the refrigerator, and thin with milk when reheating.

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