Why it works: Clove and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Arroz Con Dulce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak rice in water for about two hours prior to cooking. Drain.
Add the salt, cloves and ginger to three cups of water in a deep saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Sieve through a colander to remove the remnants of the spices.
Bring to a boil once again.
Cook the pudding
Add the coconut cream, rice, sugar and oil.
Cook covered over medium-low heat for about twenty minutes.
Add the raisins and blend in.
Continue to cook, uncovered, until the rice has absorbed all the water (about fifteen more minutes).
Set and serve
Pour into a square or rectangular dish about one inch high and allow to cool.
Sprinkle ground cinnamon or cinnamon sugar on the pudding and cut in two-inch squares for your diners.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut | 1/2 cup shredded (40g) | 283 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| 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.
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.
-
Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Coconut + ricetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,063 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Ginger + coconuttop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,168 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Clove + raisintop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,070 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rice
- Its starch swells and thickens as it absorbs the liquid, giving the pudding its body.
- Coconut cream
- Its fat adds richness and a creamy, smooth texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the pudding taste rounded.
- Ginger
- Infuses the cooking water with a warm, aromatic flavour.
- Raisins
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness.
The step that matters
Simmering until the rice absorbs all the water. Rice starch swells and thickens as it absorbs liquid, while sugar and coconut cream can scorch on the bottom of the pan. Gentle heat and attention near the end keep the pudding creamy rather than dry or burnt.
Swap the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clove, ginger, coconut, cream, rice, sugar):
- Vanillafits better
- Mangofits better
- Limefits better
- Raisinthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against clove, ginger, coconut, cream, rice, sugar. 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.
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