Risalamande, means rice with almonds, a traditional Danish Christmas Dessert. Love the simplicity of the dessert, the pudding as such doesn’t have any sugar, it is served with warm cherry sauce and while serving little sugar is added. Every spoon of this pudding is filled with chunky almonds and aromatic vanilla.
What made me make this delicious pudding is the ritual behind it. This rice dessert is served after Christmas Dinner, while sitting around the Christmas tree, exchanging gifts, though the recipe contains lot of chopped almonds, while serving, a whole almond is hidden in one of the bowls served. Whoever gets that whole almonds gets a gift. I m trying to imagine the scene there, what fun it would be, keeping in mind the Christmas spirit, I bet bowls of pudding would get finished hurriedly just to get that whole almond.
This fun game is what made me do this yummilicious dessert. We loved the pudding, my mom and dad loved the taste, they were surprised to that something similar to our pal payasam is made in the Nordic Culture.
My hubby loved the warm sauce on top and the tangy taste the fruit sauce gives to this yumm pudding. A rich dessert, fit for the festivities and also for the fun.
Recipe Source Nordic Food & Living
Ingredients
For the Rice pudding
1/2 cup short grain rice
1 litre full fat milk
1 pod of vanilla
For serving Risalamande (Makes 4-5 serving)
20 almonds, blanched
125ml heavy cream
2-3 tbsp sugar
Cherry sauce/I have used strawberry sauce
Method
Let us make the Rice Pudding first.
- Wash the rice once or twice. Take it in a heavy bottom pan, add milk to it and let it cook in a medium flame until rice cooks well.
- While the rice is cooking, cut open the vanilla pod, scrape the seeds and add to it. You can also add the scrapped pods to it, this will give a nice aroma to the pudding.
- Cover and cook, this will speed up the process. Keep stirring often, as the rice might stick to the bottom and burn. Once the rice turns soft. Take it off the flame. It was like a thick porridge, this will thicken even more as it cools. Refrigerate until serve
To make the cherry/strawberry sauce
- I didnt have cherries, so made a strawberry sauce. Add 10 strawberries and 4 tbsp sugar along with 2 cloves, and a cinnamon stick to a sauce pan.
- Let it cook in its own juices for 10-12 minutes, once the berries/cherries lose their shape and turn all mushy, take it off the stove.
Blanching the almonds.
- I usually soak the almonds for 4-5 hours and then remove the seeds. If making in a hurry, add almonds to boiling water, take it off the stove. Let it sit for 2 minutes. Drain the almonds, rinse it once with cold water, they can be easily skinned.
To serve Risalamande
- Chop the blanced almonds roughly. Whip the cream and add it to the pudding, along with sugar and almonds. Serve the pudding in individual bowls topped with more almonds and warm cherry sauce.
That is such a rich dessert. Love the strawberry sauce on top. I am imaging biting into the almonds in that rich pudding. Yummm..
Wow this is one creamy deliciousness .. am drooling here:) I remember making this with raspberry sauce , they look so divine with your version of strawberry sauce added to it.. Lovely captures ..
Fabulous , bookmarking this simple dessert which sounds like a close cousin to our kheer . The strawberry sauce definitely enhances the taste and look .
I made something similar for Norway sometime back and omg, it was so good. With a fruit sauce it must have tasted amazing.
Saw you making them in ur Insta Stories.. Looks so creamy and delicious.. Fabulous dessert..
Very rich looking Risalamande, Scandinavian cuisines have few varieties of this rice dessert, and the fruit sauce looks irresistible.
Looks like an exotic version of our Indian Kheer. The use of cherry sauce while serving is interesting
The almond finding ritual sounds fun and I was imagining the same too. Sitting around the tree and opening presents while relishing this dessert, oh boy good life. Nice share and thanks for sharing the tradition behind the recipe too.
Rice pudding topped with that rich and delicious strawberry sauce looks and sounds super exotic.
This pudding looks so lovely with the contrast of berry sauce.
Sounds super rich, creamy and delicious. The strawberry topping adds a dash of color to it.
Rice pudding looks delicious, especially the Strawberry topping is just yummm.
scandinavia has many versions of rice pudding – this looks so good and I love that berry garnish
That is such a rich and exotic looking rice pudding. Loved reading about the tradition around this dish. The cherry/ strawberry topping on top looks so delicious.
My family always has risalamande for Christmas dessert and always do the almond prize. When we were younger there would be a few prizes, now that we are all adults there is only one. Lots of fun and delicious.We have only used cherry sauce but the strawberries sounds delicious.