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Majarete

Majarete: Puerto Rican rice-flour and coconut pudding

Puerto Rican grandmothers cook majarete on the stove in one pan, pour it into a dish and leave it to set while the Sunday dinner is eaten; it shows up again at Christmas beside the tembleque. Rice flour, coconut milk and whole milk are stirred with cinnamon and a little orange zest until they thicken into a silky, spoonable pudding, dusted with more cinnamon. In the Dominican Republic the same name goes to a version made with fresh grated corn. The common mistake is walking away from the pan; rice flour lumps and catches in seconds, so whisk constantly. Chef's tip: whisk the rice flour into the cold milks before the pan goes on the heat, and it will be perfectly smooth.
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
6
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Ingredients

Serves6

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Method

0/4 done
  1. Step 1: In a medium pan, whisk 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 2 cups whole milk, 2 ⅝ oz rice flour, 3 ½ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt until completely smooth, with no lumps of flour left. Add 1 cinnamon stick and 1 strip orange zest.

  2. Step 2: Set the pan over a medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, for 12–15 minutes. It will suddenly begin to thicken; keep going until it is like thick custard and coats the back of a spoon heavily.

    14 min
  3. Step 3: Take it off the heat, fish out the cinnamon stick and peel, and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

  4. Step 4: Pour into a shallow serving dish or six small bowls and dust with ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours until set. Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
330 kcal
Protein
5 g
Carbs
42 g
Fat
16 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does majarete take?
About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of coconut milk?
Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
What can I use instead of whole milk?
Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).

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