AKKI NUCHHI BELLA JONI PUDDING – STEAMED RICE PUDDING 

 This recipe, for a delicious rice pudding, is shared by Prithi Poovamma, a senior operations manager at Mphasis, in Bangalore.

 An English literature graduate, who also has a diploma in architecture, Prithi is married to Kolera Harish. They have two sons, Yadhu Somaiah (18) and Thanav Thammaiah (9).

 Prithi has travelled all over India with her ex-serviceman father, Nayada Madhu Madappa, and she has also visited the UK on work.

 Her dream, she says, is “to own a small little café in Coorg when I retire, as Coorg is the place I love the most”.

 About the recipe, which is made using fine, broken rice (akki nucchi), jaggery syrup (bella joni), butter, and milk, Prithi says: “I am not sure about the origin of this pudding. My maternal grandmother used to serve the dish at tea time. Honey adds its own flavour to this pudding when used as a sauce.”

 Akki Nuchhi Bella Joni Pudding       

 Ingredients:

• 250 grams small broken rice (preferably brown)
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 300 grams jaggery (cane sugar)
• 1 teaspoon salt (to enhance the taste of the jaggery)
• 100 ml milk
• 400 ml water

Method: 

• Roast the broken rice until crisp
• Boil water, add the jaggery and continue boiling until the consistency is syrupy
• Whisk the milk with butter
• In a large bowl, add the roasted broken rice, salt, whisked butter & milk, jaggery syrup and mix well.
• Pour into a greased dish and steam for 30 minutes or until it is firm on top. (Start checking after 30 minutes.)
• Once done, remove and serve the pudding warm with honey.

Alternatively this pudding can also be baked in an oven @ 250 C and be served with toffee sauce