Recipe: different ways to make rice pudding

 A few days ago, I was asked how I make rice pudding and, as there are several possible ways, I thought I'd do a post about it.

I used the same proportions each time.  They were:
120 mls semi skimmed milk (half a healthy extra A)

20g pudding rice

one tsp sugar (one syn)

grated nutmeg

(or multiples of these amounts)

You could use other flavourings, of course - vanilla, mixed spice, cinnamon - whatever you want.  I stuck to nutmeg for consistency. for half a healthy extra A and one syn or for four syns.  I didn't add butter and you could use sweetener instead of sugar which would make it just half an A or three syns.
I believe some people use water instead of milk or half and half - I might try that sometime but I am happy to use half an A per portion.

This is what I did.

In the oven:

It is expensive to heat up an oven for one rice pudding but if you have it on for something else and have space, why not?

Heat the oven to 140 fan, 160 non-fan or gas 3.
Butter an ovenproof dish and add the ingredients - personally, I would do three or four portions at a time.

Stir and bake for between an hour and an hour and a half.

I didn't try this - I'm trying hard to be frugal with my power usage and it's just not economical unless you have to have the oven on anyway.  I know it works because that's how my Mum always made her rice pudding (plus butter!).  😊

On the hob:

Use a pan suitable to the number of portions you want to make and non stick is a really good idea!

Add the ingredients and stir.  Put the pan on a high heat and bring to a boil, stirring all the time.
Reduce the heat to the lowest possible and put a lid on.
Allow to simmer away, stirring every five minutes or so to prevent sticking - it took me about 20 to 25 mins.
Add a little splash of water if it seems to be drying out.
When it's done, it's done!

In the slow cooker:

I made double quantities so two portions.

Just chuck everything in, give it  good stir and turn it on.  I used the Auto setting, turned it on at around 9:30, gave it another little stir at around ten, then went out for a walk and when I came in just before 12:30, it was done perfectly.

Cook it on slow and I guess it would take another hour or so.

In my Thermomix:

If you have a thermomix and access to Cookidoo, you could follow that recipe but don't do the butter thing, just miss it out and go on to that final cooking time.

I had a go with the ingredients as above x 2 portions.  

Insert butterfly whisk.

Place ingredients in bowl.
Measuring cup on.

Cook 55 mins, 90C, reverse speed 1

Check and give a bit longer if needed.

I did try the microwave but all I got was a big old mess all over the turntable - wouldn't recommend it, personally!!

Which method would I choose to use depends on context.

If I wanted just one portion, I would probably do it in a pan on the hob.  However, that would be unlikely as I'm a great believer in cooking once and freezing the extra portions and also you can't just leave it to do its thing!  Lazy cooks rule, OK?

If I was going out, I would use my slow cooker.

If I was staying in, I would use Thermione.  

Both make a really nice basic rice pudding that you could jazz up if you wanted to.

Neither method needs you to stir regularly, both are fuel economical, both are easy.

Up to you.  Which will you do?