Sütlaç is a well-known Turkish dessert made of rice, milk and sugar.

It is also famous in the Balkans where it was introduced by the Ottomans. In the Balkans it is called “sutliyash” and is actually original name for sütlaç (how it’s been called in Turkey now) and the translation would be – “cooked food with milk”.

So even if you don’t travel to Turkey, but visit some of the Balkan countries, make sure to try it there.

The recipe for this tasty Turkish dessert is below. You can serve and eat it hot or cold, but usually, it is eaten cold in Turkey. You can make it for your friends, as they probably have never tried it before. It goes great with tea or coffee.

Ingredients

6 cups milk
2 cups water
1,5 cup rice
1,5-2 cups sugar
1 tbsp powdered vanilla (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract) – optional
1 tbsp cornstarch – optional

Method

1. Wash the rice. Place the rice and water in a pot and cook until all the water disappears.
2. Add cold milk*, mix well** and wait until it started boiling.
3. Add sugar and mix well. Continue mixing and let it boil, then cook on low fire for 15 minutes continually mixing it.
4. Put it in serving bowls while it’s warm and keep it refrigerated.
5. Just before serving you can add cinnamon and read here about my discovery of a wonderful sütlaç with hazelnuts and honey on top, so make sure you try that combination too.
6. This step is totally optional, but if you want your pudding burned on top a bit, place it in a hot oven until it gets brown on top, like in a picture above.

* If you plan to use cornstarch for a less liquidy rice pudding then put it after you add cold milk. Before adding it to the mix, dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of cold milk (or water) and add it to the pot when adding cold milk to the pot.
This is also a good moment to add powdered vanilla if using it.

Have you tried sütlaç before? How do you like the recipe?

Share your comments in the box below and if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer.

Keep in touch and happy cooking! 🙂

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