isithalal.food

Halal-conscious recipe

Coconut rice pudding, no rum

A rich rice pudding of toasted pudding rice cooked in coconut milk and cream, served warm or chilled with a muscovado raisin syrup made with water instead of spiced rum.

  • Cuisine British
  • Meal Dessert
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Yield 6–8 portions
  • Time 45 min
  • Last updated

Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.

Printable view
A small white bowl of creamy rice pudding topped with a few dark raisins, on a white saucer
Photograph of rice pudding by Sohail Anwar (CC0), not the finished dish from this recipe.

Why Halal checks matter here

The raisin syrup is made by warming 150 ml of spiced rum with sugar for only 5 minutes, and the pudding is flavoured with vanilla extract, which is usually made with alcohol.

Rum and raisin is a classic pairing, but the rum in this source's syrup is only warmed for 5 minutes with the sugar and raisins before it is poured over the pudding. Rum is a distilled spirit this site rates Haram, so this version makes the same syrup with water.

It follows Barney Desmazery's coconut, rum and raisin rice pudding for BBC Good Food. The pudding itself is rice toasted in butter and simmered in coconut milk and cream; the one other check is the vanilla, since pure vanilla extract is made with alcohol and scholars differ on it. A vanilla pod or an alcohol-free vanilla avoids the question.

Water is our substitution, so the syrup tastes of muscovado and raisin rather than spice. The pudding simmers for 40 to 45 minutes and can be served warm or chilled and scooped.

Halal-critical ingredients

  • Spiced rum The published syrup warms 150 ml of spiced rum for only 5 minutes. Rum is a distilled alcoholic spirit, which this site rates Haram. Use the same amount of water, as here. See Rum.
  • Vanilla extract Pure vanilla extract is made with about 35% alcohol as the extraction solvent, and scholars differ on it. Use a vanilla pod or an alcohol-free vanilla. See Vanilla extract.

Safe substitutes

  • 150 ml spiced rum → 150 ml water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract → Seeds of a vanilla pod or 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla

Allergens

milk (butter, double cream)

Ingredients

Raisin syrup

  • 150 ml water (instead of 150 ml spiced rum)
  • 100 g muscovado sugar
  • 100 g raisins

Pudding

  • 50 g butter
  • 150 g short-grain pudding rice
  • 150 g golden caster sugar
  • 2 x 400 ml cans coconut milk
  • 300 ml double cream, plus a little extra
  • 1 seeds of a vanilla pod or 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla (instead of vanilla extract)

Method

  1. Make the raisin syrup. Put the water, muscovado and raisins in a large saucepan and heat gently over a low heat for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved into a syrup and the raisins have plumped up. Tip into a bowl, cover and set aside.
  2. Toast the rice. In the same pan, melt the butter over a medium heat until sizzling, then scatter in the rice and toast it until the butter is just starting to brown.
  3. Simmer. Stir in the sugar, then pour in the coconut milk, cream and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 40 to 45 minutes until the rice is tender, adding a splash more cream if it gets too thick.
  4. Serve. To serve hot, stir a third of the raisin syrup through the pudding and spoon the rest over the top. To serve cold, let it cool, chill until firm and serve in scoops with the syrup spooned over.

How this recipe was researched

Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Coconut, rum & raisin rice pudding' by Barney Desmazery (serves 6 to 8: 150 ml spiced rum, 100 g muscovado and 100 g raisins warmed gently 5 minutes into a syrup; 50 g butter melted until sizzling and 150 g pudding rice toasted in it; 150 g golden caster sugar, two 400 ml cans coconut milk, 300 ml double cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract simmered gently 40 to 45 minutes; a third of the syrup stirred through and the rest spooned over, or chilled and scooped). We replaced the rum with the same amount of water and the vanilla extract with a vanilla pod or alcohol-free vanilla. Water is our substitution, so the syrup will taste of muscovado and raisin rather than spice. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.

Technique and ingredient sources

  1. Coconut, rum & raisin rice pudding — BBC Good Food Retrieved:

    By Barney Desmazery. Serves 6 to 8, prep 5 minutes, cook 40 minutes: a syrup of 150 ml spiced rum, muscovado and raisins warmed 5 minutes; pudding rice toasted in butter, then sugar, coconut milk, double cream and vanilla extract simmered 40 to 45 minutes. We replaced the rum and the vanilla extract.

  2. Rum analysis — isithalal.food Retrieved:

    Why rum is Haram as a distilled spirit.

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