Go Back
–+ servings

Sutlijaš: Balkan Rice Pudding

Aida
Sutlijaš is a traditional Balkan rice pudding made with rice, milk, sugar, and toppings.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian
Servings 6
Calories 258 kcal

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.

Video

Notes

  • Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is only an estimate based on serving 1 cup of pudding (2 ladles) in each bowl. (This will give you approximately 6 bowls of rice pudding in total.)
  • Cooking Time
Cooking time is an estimate.  You may need a little more or a little less time. If it's cooking too slowly, raise the temp to medium, but continuously stir to avoid burning. Check the rice for doneness, and ensure there is still a little bit of milk left in the pot above the rice. 
  • Volume Recommendations
If this is too much rice pudding for you, scale the ingredients down. A suggestion is to use 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). 
Another way to do it is to use an actual smaller cup or a glass for measuring ingredients. As long as you are using the same cup or glass to measure out rice, water, and milk, the rice pudding (sutlijaš) will come out great. 
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 48.7gProtein: 6gFat: 4.2gSaturated Fat: 2.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 54mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 198IUCalcium: 143mgIron: 1.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!