Name: Persian Apricot Rice Pudding
Ingredients: 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice; 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 1/3 cup water; 2 (1 lbs) cans apricot halves in juice, drained; 2 cups milk (approx.); 1/3 cup sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon almond extract

Why it works: Apricot and vanilla match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 608 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

Persian Apricot Rice Pudding

Time5 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Have a 1 qt shallow bowl handy.
Put the rice in a blender and blend until fine.
Pour into a small bowl, add cornstarch and water, and stir to dissolve the cornstarch.
Pour the drained apricots into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add just enough milk to total 4 cups (approximately 2 cups milk).

Make the pudding

Pour into a small saucepan and add sugar and the rice mixture.
Over medium heat, stir constantly until it comes to a boil.
Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the extracts until blended.

Chill and serve

Pour pudding into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature for ½ hour, then chill.
When pudding is cold, serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

895Calories

26 gProtein

10 gFat

169 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Apricot	1 medium (35g)	17
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Almond	1 almond (1.2g)	7
Water	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Apricot + vanillatop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together608 recipes

Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
Vanilla + almondtop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,961 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together19,187 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Apricot + almondtop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together852 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Rice + almondtop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,456 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Brown rice: Finely ground rice thickens the pudding and gives it a creamy, body-rich texture.
Cornstarch: Gelatinizes when heated with liquid, setting the pudding and giving it a smooth, glossy body.
Apricot halves: Provide fruit flavor, natural sweetness, and moisture when blended into a smooth purée.
Milk: Supplies the main liquid and richness, creating a creamy base that thickens as it heats.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and balances the tartness of the apricots.

The step that matters

Stirring constantly until it boils. Cornstarch and rice can settle and scorch on the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Constant stirring keeps the starch dispersed so it thickens evenly without lumps or burning.

Swap the apricot

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, milk, sugar, vanilla, almond):

Coconutfits better
Figfits better
Peachfits better
Apricotthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against rice, milk, sugar, vanilla, almond. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Rice Cake120 recipes

Vanilla Ice Cream108 recipes

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Rice Jelly42 recipes

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Persian Apricot Rice Pudding