Rizogalo – Greek Rice Pudding with Cinnamon Recipe
Rizogalo is a thick, creamy rice pudding served warm or cold, often sprinkled with cinnamon. In Greece it’s eaten both as a dessert after lunch and as a sweet evening meal for children. The taste is similar to Polish rice pudding, but it’s smoother and often less sweet.
This Greek rice pudding is extra creamy and smooth thanks to slow cooking and a touch of starch, with a delicate citrus note and cinnamon that make it comforting yet light. It’s simple, inexpensive and works both as a dessert and a sweet meal.
Chef's tips
Stir the rice often, especially towards the end of cooking, to prevent it from catching at the bottom. Adjust the sweetness to your taste – traditional rizogalo is usually less sweet than classic Polish rice pudding. If you like a very smooth texture, use short-grain rice and cook it gently so the grains release their starch.
How to serve
Serve in small bowls, sprinkled generously with cinnamon. For a more indulgent version, add a drizzle of honey or a spoonful of fruit compote. In summer, pair it with fresh seasonal fruit; in colder months, serve it warm with stewed apples or plums.
Ingredients
- rice short-grain, e.g. risotto rice - 120 g
- milk cow’s milk or plant-based milk with a neutral taste - 1 l
- sugar or to taste - 4 tablespoons
- lemon zest thinly peeled, without the white pith - 1 strip
- salt - 1 pinch
- cornstarch optional, for thickening - 1 tablespoon
- water for pre-cooking the rice - 150 ml
- cinnamon ground, for sprinkling - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under running water until the water is almost clear.
- Pour 150 ml of water into a pot, add the rice and bring to a boil. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until the rice absorbs most of the water.
- Add the milk, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Stir and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat so the milk only lightly simmers.
- Cook the rice over very low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring often, especially at the bottom of the pot so nothing burns. The mixture should gradually thicken and the rice should become soft.
- When the rice is soft, remove the lemon zest. Mix the sugar with 2–3 tablespoons of hot milk from the pot, and if you’re using cornstarch, dissolve it in the same bowl. Pour the mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly.
- Cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the dessert thickens to the consistency of a thick custard. Remember that it will thicken a bit more as it cools.
- Pour the rizogalo into bowls. Serve warm or chilled from the fridge, sprinkled with ground cinnamon just before eating.
Storage
Rizogalo przechowuj w lodówce w przykrytych miseczkach do 3 dni. Przed jedzeniem możesz je lekko rozrzedzić odrobiną mleka, jeśli zrobiło się zbyt gęste. Nie zamrażaj, bo po rozmrożeniu zmieni konsystencję.
