Date and Cardamom Rice Pudding

Name: Date and Cardamom Rice Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: ¾ cup (150 g) short-grain rice (such as Calrose or pudding rice), rinsed in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear; 1 cup (240 ml) water; 4 cups (960 ml) whole milk, cold; 8 pods (1½ g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the flat of a knife; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine salt; 8 dates (160 g) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract (optional); ¼ cup (30 g) unsalted shelled pistachios, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey or date syrup (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Creamy stovetop rice pudding made with short-grain rice, whole milk and fragrant cardamom, folded with soft chopped Medjool dates and finished with roasted pistachios. Gently sweet, silky and comforting, served warm or chilled.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: About 5 cups (6 servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

¾ cup (150 g) short-grain rice (such as Calrose or pudding rice), rinsed in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear
1 cup (240 ml) water
4 cups (960 ml) whole milk, cold
8 pods (1.5 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the flat of a knife
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
8 dates (160 g) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract (optional)
For serving
¼ cup (30 g) unsalted shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons (40 g) honey or date syrup (optional)

Equipment (6)

Heavy-bottomed 3-4 quart (3-4 L) saucepan
Wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula
Fine-mesh sieve
Small dry skillet
Cutting board and knife
Serving bowls or a large serving dish

Steps

Before you start

Use a heavy-bottomed 3-4 quart (3-4 L) saucepan so the milk doesn't scorch on the bottom.
Pit and chop the dates before you start; if they feel dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and drain.
Plan on about 45 minutes of stovetop time, with frequent stirring toward the end.
The pudding thickens a lot as it cools, so stop cooking while it still looks slightly loose.

1
Rinse the rice
- Put the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water for about 1 minute, stirring with your fingers, until the draining water looks mostly clear.
- Drain well.
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Ready when: Water runs mostly clear.
Tip: Don't over-rinse; a little surface starch helps make the pudding creamy.
2
Parboil in water
- In the saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, water, crushed cardamom pods and salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring once, until most of the water has been absorbed.
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Ready when: Rice looks plump and only a thin film of water remains.
Tip: Cooking in water first softens the grains so they don't toughen in the milk.
3
Add the milk
- Pour in the cold milk and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Raise the heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often, about 6 minutes.
- Watch closely, as milk boils over quickly.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break around the edges and steam rises; no hard boil.
Tip: If it climbs the pan, lift it off the heat and stir until it settles.
4
Simmer until creamy
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the milk barely bubbles.
- Cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes and scraping the bottom and corners, and more often during the last 10 minutes as it thickens.
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Ready when: Rice is tender with no chalky center, and the pudding coats the back of a spoon like loose porridge.
Tip: It will thicken considerably as it cools, so stop while it's still a bit loose.
5
Sweeten and add dates
- Stir in the sugar, chopped dates and ground cardamom.
- Simmer gently for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the dates start to soften and melt slightly into the pudding.
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Ready when: Sugar is dissolved and the pudding has a caramel-tan color flecked with soft date pieces.
Tip: Taste before adding more sugar; the dates add plenty of sweetness.
6
Finish and rest
- Remove from the heat.
- Fish out and discard the cardamom pods.
- Stir in the vanilla, if using.
- Let the pudding rest off the heat for 10 minutes, stirring once, so it thickens slightly.
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Ready when: Pudding is thick and spoonable, slowly falling off the spoon.
Tip: If it gets too thick later, stir in a splash of warm milk.
7
Toast the pistachios
- While the pudding rests, toast the chopped pistachios in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Tip onto a plate to stop the cooking.
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Ready when: Nuts smell toasty and look slightly golden at the edges.
Tip: Nuts burn quickly; remove them as soon as they smell toasty.
8
Serve
- Spoon the pudding into 6 bowls.
- Serve warm, or cover and chill for at least 2 hours to serve cold.
- Top with toasted pistachios and drizzle with honey or date syrup, if using.
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Tip: Add the pistachios just before serving so they stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Stir often and scrape the bottom and corners to prevent scorching, especially after adding the dates.
Use soft, fresh Medjool dates; hard dates stay chewy and won't melt into the pudding.
Crushing the pods lets the seeds release their aroma without leaving gritty bits, so remove the pods at the end.
For a smoother, richer pudding, stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or butter at the end.

Make ahead

Make the pudding up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed on the surface to prevent a skin. Stir in a few tablespoons of milk before serving. Toast and add the pistachios just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the texture turns grainy. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in a splash of milk to loosen.

Substitutions

whole milk → Full-fat oat milk or coconut milk. Makes the pudding dairy-free; coconut milk adds a noticeable coconut flavor.
short-grain rice (such as Calrose or pudding rice) → Arborio rice. Works well with similar cooking time; it gives a slightly creamier, more risotto-like texture.
unsalted shelled pistachios → Toasted slivered almonds. Use the same amount; the color will be less vivid.
green cardamom pods → Additional ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom. Add with the ground cardamom; the flavor will be slightly less nuanced.