Sutlijaš: Balkan Rice Pudding (Sutlija, Riža na Mlijeku)
Sutlijaš, Balkan rice pudding, is a creamy sweet rice made with milk and vanilla. Perfectly nostalgic and endlessly comforting, milk rice is a timeless dessert. Ideal for family gatherings or a solo indulgence. Shall we?
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Background
Known throughout the world under different names - arroz con leche (Spain and Latin America), kheer (India and South Asia), riz au lait (France), milchreis (Germany), and more - rice pudding is a global dish tracing back to ancient times.
In the Balkans, rice pudding is known as sutlijaš, sutlija, or riža na mlijeku/ mleku (rice on milk). It's a beloved, old-fashioned treat. As can be detected from its name, sutlijaš (süt meaning milk in Turkish), was brought over to the region by the Ottomans, a few centuries ago.
We resurrected this easy, delicious dish due to its universal appeal! With a velvety texture, and just the right amount of sweetness, rice pudding (sutlijaš) is equally tasty chilled from the fridge or straight off the stove.
Why You'll Love Sutlijaš Rice Pudding
- Creamy and Comforting: Sutlijaš is one dreamy, velvety dessert that simply warms up the soul!
- Delicious Year-Round: Whether you consume it warm during the cooler months or serve chilled in the summer, rice pudding is a dessert you can enjoy all year long.
- Budget-Friendly: Rice pudding is easy on the eyes, and even easier on the wallet.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this easy Balkan rice pudding called sutlijaš.
Rice. White, round, short-grained rice is the kind you want to use. If you can't find it easily, look for it in your grocery's international aisle. Most Italian brands, like Arborio rice, are perfect for Balkan sutlijaš.
This type of rice has amazing consistency and is high in starch. It gives rice pudding the creaminess of a risotto with just the right balance of softness and grit.
Milk. Regular milk works best. (Some even use chocolate milk, and adjust sugar.) We haven't tried making sutlijaš with other types, but we bet they would work just as well. (If you test another milk, please let us know in the comments.)
Sugar. White granulated sugar works best. Substitute with brown sugar or powdered sugar. Some have made rice pudding with honey or maple syrup. Avoid substitutes like Stevia.
Vanilla. As the other ingredients are kind of basic, vanilla is added to seal the flavors in the nicest of ways. Both sugar or liquid types will do.
Optional. Toppings. As in, everything else! Cinnamon, raisins, dark or white chocolate, cocoa powder, chopped nuts, ground biscuits, honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, fresh, frozen, or dried fruit - the sky is the limit.
Instructions
Although the instructions for rice pudding (sutlijaš) are simple, the process requires a lot of stirring and some patience. (Cooking very slowly ensures the rice won't burn, which would destroy the dish.)
Step 1. Wash the rice thoroughly.
Step 2. Cook water and rice in a large pot.
Step 3. Add some milk. Cook and stir.
Step 4. Add more milk. Cook and stir.
Step 5. Add the final cup of milk. Add sugar. Add spices (if using.) Cook and stir.
Step 6. Transfer to serving cups while it's hot. Cool down a bit. Serve warm, or cool in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
Rice pudding is made from milk, rice, and sugar. Toppings are completely optional and can include anything from spices to dried fruit.
Yes. Rice pudding is a high calorie dessert.
However, since it's very filling, it's unlikely you'll be reaching for more sweets after you eat a bowl of rice pudding.
Sure! Rice pudding is caloric, filling, and pairs beautifully with many toppings like honey, dried, fresh or frozen fruit, nuts, and more.
For a more protein-infused breakfast, you can mix in a spoon of protein powder.
Absolutely! However, scale the ingredients down. So if you are using ½ cup of rice, add ½ cup of water at the beginning, and then add ½ cup of milk 3 more times (for a total of 1.5 cups of milk).
A small amount of water is added to rice at the beginning to help thin out the milk, and to prevent burning.
Unconventional Desserts
Here are a few more desserts that are not your run-of-the-mill sweets. Give them a try!
Handling
Here are a few ideas on serving and storing rice pudding (sutlijaš):
Serving: Transfer from the pot to serving cups/ bowls immediately after making it. If planning to eat warm, let rice pudding (sutlijaš) cool for 5-10 minutes, add additional toppings, then serve.
For a cold rice pudding (sutlijaš), let it cool down, and transfer it to the fridge for up to several hours. You can store pudding in the serving bowls and cover with plates, or saran wrap while in the fridge. When ready to consume, take it out and add toppings (if using any).
Storing: Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating: If you want to eat rice pudding warm after keeping it in the fridge, reheat it in the microwave before adding additional toppings.
Thoughts?
If you make today's Balkan rice pudding sutlijaš (sutlija) and like it, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5-star) rating. This will help others find the recipe more easily!
You can also leave a comment, I read EVERY one! Finally, if IG is more your thing, consider tagging us @balkanlunchbox.
Prijatno, Dobar Tek, and Bon Appetit!
Sutlijaš: Balkan Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup round short-grained rice Arborio rice, or similar
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups milk (about 690-700 milliliters), divided regular or chocolate (lower the sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla sugar
- 3.5 ounces granulated sugar (about 7 tablespoons) or brown, honey and maple syrup also work; adjust sugar to taste if you want the pudding more or less sweet
- (Optional) Topping ideas: cinnamon, nutmeg, dried, frozen, or fresh fruit, cocoa powder, coconut flakes, chocolate syrup, grated or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Wash rice thoroughly and take out any debris. Strain, place in a pot, and add one cup of fresh water (230 ml). Cook on medium to low for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add one cup of milk (230 ml), then bring the temperature down to medium-low. (If your stove is on the weak side, you can continue cooking rice pudding on medium, but stir more often.) Continue cooking for another 7-8 minutes. Stir thoroughly once or twice.
- Add the second cup of milk (230 ml), vanilla extract, sugar, and stir. Cook another 7-8 minutes, stirring more frequently. (Add cinnamon or spices if using.)
- Add the third cup of milk (230 ml), and sugar, then stir. Cook for the final 7-8 minutes, now stirring quite frequently. Taste the rice a couple of times to check for doneness. The rice is done when the grains are plump, creamy, fat, yet soft when you bite into them (like risotto). By now (total cooking time is approximately between 28-35 minutes) the rice should be done, but there will still be some milk left above the rice. (If the rice is crunchy, cook it a few minutes longer.) The pudding will be on the runny side and this may worry you. However, it's supposed to be like that. As it cools down, the rice will "drink" almost all of the milk up. (If you prefer your rice pudding more solid, add ½ cup of milk (115 ml) the last time you add milk.)
- Serving: Transfer from the pot to serving cups/ bowls immediately after making the pudding. If planning to eat it warm, let rice pudding (sutlijaš) cool for 5-10 minutes, add additional toppings, and serve.For a cold rice pudding (sutlijaš), let it cool down, then transfer to the fridge for up to several hours. You can store pudding in the serving bowls and cover with small plates, or saran wrap while in the fridge. When ready to consume, take it out and add toppings (if using any).Storing: Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.Reheating: If you want to eat rice pudding warm after keeping it in the fridge, reheat it in the microwave before adding additional toppings.
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Notes
- Nutritional Information
- Cooking Time
- Volume Recommendations
Hi Aida! I made this a few weeks back and have been meaning to post about it since then. First of all, I was so happy to see this recipe. It was delicious, but I think I need to try making it again (I have always had trouble with 2 things: anything requiring a water bath, and rice pudding :-)). I used Italian arborio rice, but by the end, it was still kind of hard, which made me have to cook it longer, which made the pudding too thick at the end. I added in some more milk to thin it down but essentially I overcooked the rice. I think the mistake I made was at the beginning - I put the rice into the water and turned the heat to low and just continued with the recipe. So by the end the rice wasn't cooked. Should the water have been simmering before I added the rice?
Marwah,
I just noticed this one went unanswered. No, the water should be cold when you put the rice in. Maybe try cooking on medium until you put the milk in, instead of low?
I consulted with my sister. This may be one of those where you have to play around with the amount of milk. She uses even more milk sometimes, to make the sticky rice more runny. She said not to worry about adding more milk, it won't change the recipe too much, but to make sure to stir frequently.
Hi. This esssentialy same as my rice pudding recipe. Trick to creaminess is to use italian rice and simmer really low temperature in milk with the sugar and dash of salt stirring frequently for about an hour. No need for precooking in water. Full fat milk recommended. It will thicken moore as it cools. Then stir in vanilla. And of course serve cooled with cinnamon. Half cup rice. Third cup sugar. 4 cups milk. Dash of salt. 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Thanks for the tips.