Sluttishly Sweet: Coconut Rice Pudding with Blackened Mango

There are two kinds of pudding in the world.

The first is pudding we make to impress. We're talking meringue towers, ice-cream castles, things made with choux pastry. The other is the sort that you eat from a bowl whilst standing up, alone. 

This pudding is the latter. 

It's soft, nourishing and delicately spiced. Proper familiar nursery style comfort, with a nod towards the tropics. And the BEST part is, aside from an the occasional stir, it makes itself! 

Coconut Rice Pudding (serves four)

You'll need:

• 400ml can of coconut milk
• 150ml coconut cream (1/2 carton)
• 100g pudding rice
• a handful of sugar (this depends on how sweet you like it, so taste as you go)
• a good grind of fresh black pepper 

For the mango skewers:

• 1 mango 
• metal skewers

Make it!

1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water.
2. Bring the rice, coconut cream and coconut milk to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer.
3. After about 20mins, check the rice is tender, then stir in the sugar and a good grind of black pepper. This might sound odd, but it gives it a lovely spicy warmth. 

For the mango skewer:
Thread your mango pieces onto a the skewers and toast the fruit over a gas ring until nicely blackened. Or if you're feeling particularly rebellious, get the barbecue going and whack it over hot coals. No mango? This recipe would also work well with pineapple.