Turkish-Pakistani Rice Pudding

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1. 1Step 1: Wash and drain the rice. The starch levels and consistency of short grain rice makes it ideal for puddings so go with that.
2. 2Step 2: Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the cinnamon over low heat. Add the rice and stir.
3. 3Step 3: Add the semi-skimmed milk and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes as the rice needs to swell up. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan base and sides.
4. 4Step 4: Now add the sugar and evaporated milk and keep it on a simmer for another 20-30 minutes, keep stirring. A lot! Thin layers of the rice begin to form on the base of the pan which actually help the pudding develop flavour - just don't let it burn.
5. 5Step 5: Buy ready de-shelled pistachios and chop.
6. 6Step 6: Add the rose water now, raisins and half of whatever chopped nuts you like. I'm not mad on raisins, so it's rose-tinted pistachio for me. Note: if you wanted a different flavoured rice such as vanilla just add that ingredient during the boiling milk stage (scrape the vanilla seeds).
7. 7Step 7: Mix really well and let the mixture simmer for another 5-6 minutes or until the pudding is really thick. Then mix in the crushed cardamom seeds, give it a final stir and serve.
8. 8Step 8: Decorate with the remaining chopped nuts. Eat hot or cold.