Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç)

Rice pudding is a great dessert, but Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) is the best! If you’ve ever been to Turkey, you know what I’m talking about. For those who haven’t, these two recipes will introduce you to a simple classic beloved by all Turks.

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The Best Turkish Dessert?

Of all the desserts that Turkey has to offer – baklava, dondurma (ice cream), aşure (Noah’s Pudding), etc. – the one that captures the most hearts and palates is sütlaç (pronounced sOOt-lahtch) – known in English as rice pudding. But here’s the thing: it’s not just “rice pudding,” just as Rolls Royce is not just “a car.” The Turks have taken it to its highest form. Once you’ve tasted it, all other rice puddings pale in comparison.

Turks say that the secret lies in using fresh, unpasteurized milk. Well, we can’t always get that here in the States, but we can come pretty close to duplicating the traditional Turkish taste. There are two main styles: sütlaç and fırın sütlaç, the former, an unbaked pudding sprinkled with cinnamon and the latter, baked or broiled until the top is dark brown. This Turkish rice pudding recipe is for fırın sütlaç.

Besides the milk, I’d say the real secret is in the rice. Turks have two types of rice that are only grown in Turkey that are fantastic for pilav and for sütlaç: baldo and osmancık. You’ll have to find a Turkish or Middle Eastern grocery store, or you can order them from Amazon. I highly recommend them. They are the only rices I use now. If you don’t want to deal with finding Turkish rice, then use arborio – your grocery store will carry it. It’s the rice that’s used to make risotto.

Two Styles

I’ve noticed a difference between the rice pudding served in Turkish restaurants and the rice pudding many Turks make at home. The restaurant style is more like a slightly runny traditional pudding with a little rice in it. This is Barish’s favorite style. It is delicious, and I also love it.

The home style uses more rice, so the resulting pudding is almost all sweet rice. This is Handan’s favorite style. It is also delicious, and I love it.

Since I can’t pick a favorite, I’m going to give you both rice pudding recipes. I’d bet that most restaurants use cornstarch as a thickener, but I have it on good authority from Handan’s mother that wheat starch should be used to thicken the pudding. Feel free to use either. I will say that wheat starch gives a slightly more Turkish taste, but really, it’s not necessary, especially since I predict about 0% of you have wheat starch in your kitchens!

This Turkish rice pudding recipe is on the lower end of the sweet spectrum, at least as far as desserts are concerned. It’s still sweet, and it’s still a dessert, but I use less sugar than most recipes call for, and the resulting rice pudding is exactly how we like it in this house!

Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç)

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Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) - Home Style

Course Dessert

Cuisine Turkish

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8

Author Greg Navage

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups baldo, osmancık, or arborio rice washed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• pinch of salt
• 6 cups whole milk (raw milk, if you can find it)
• 2 tablespoons wheat starch dissolved in a little cold water (can substitute corn starch)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs beaten

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add rice and salt. Turn down heat to medium low and cook until almost all of the water has been absorbed.
2. Add milk and stir frequently until milk is just under boiling.
3. Add wheat starch/corn starch and continue stirring until rice is fully cooked - about 20 minutes. Don't let mixture get beyond a simmer or very low boil.
4. Add sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
6. Turn broiler on high and move the rack close to the top.

7. Using a ladle, remove one cup of pudding liquid. Try not to get any rice. 

8. Slowly drizzle the cup of pudding into eggs, beating constantly. Set aside.

9. Fill small ramekins or oven-proof dessert bowls of your choice. Leave a bit of space at the top. Put bowls on baking tray.
10. Using a large spoon, float the egg mixture on top of each of the ramekins.
11. Broil until tops are dark brown and charred in spots.
12. Remove pudding from oven and cool on countertop, then move to refrigerator.
13. Serve cold.

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Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç) - Restaurant Style

This rice pudding is creamier than the home style. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine Turkish

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8

Author Greg Navage

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup  baldo, osmancık, or arborio rice  washed
• 1 cup water
• pinch of salt
• 6 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in a little cold water (if you prefer a firmer pudding, use 1/2 cup corn starch)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs beaten

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add rice and salt. Turn down heat to medium low and cook until almost all of the water has been absorbed.
2. Add milk and stir frequently until milk is just under boiling.
3. Add corn starch and continue stirring until rice is fully cooked - about 20 minutes. Don't let mixture get beyond a simmer or very low boil.
4. Add sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
6. Turn broiler on high and move the rack close to the top.

7. Using a ladle, remove one cup of liquid pudding. Try not to get any rice. 

8. Slowly drizzle the cup of pudding into eggs, beating constantly. Set aside.

9. Fill small ramekins or oven-proof dessert bowls of your choice. Leave a bit of space at the top. Put bowls on baking tray.
10. Using a large spoon, float the egg mixture on top of each of the ramekins.
11. Broil until tops are dark brown and charred in spots.
12. Remove pudding from oven and cool on countertop, then move to refrigerator.
13. Serve cold.

The burnt top is the most coveted part!

Afiyet olsun! (Bon Appetit)