Baked quinoa rice pudding

A gut-friendly revamp of the nostalgic comfort food classic baked rice pudding, this recipe swaps traditional rice for quinoa. We’ve also broken with tradition to use almond milk, which complements the pistachios and apricots used to flavour the pudding, plus it makes the pudding suitable for those following a vegan diet. We’ve given instructions for a hands-free long slow cook, as well as a speedier version that requires a little more attention.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3.
2. Put the quinoa in a bowl and cover with cold water. Give it a good stir, then drain through a sieve. Rinse and drain a few more times until the water runs clear, then drain well and return to the bowl.
3. Reserve 25g of the pistachios for the topping. Add the rest to the bowl with the dried apricots, almond milk, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg.
4. Stir well, then pour the mixture into a 1 litre baking dish (approx. 20 x 25 cm), ensuring the apricots are evenly distributed.
5. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the pudding has set with a slight wobble in the middle. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
6. Warm the apricot jam and lemon juice together in a small pan until runny, then drizzle over the pudding. Crush the reserved pistachios and sprinkle over the pudding before serving.

Cooking tip

If you’re short on time (and don’t mind sacrificing the traditional golden skin!), the pudding can be cooked in a saucepan: simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure it doesn’t stick.