I do not know much of where this tradition starts, I'm told that in England it was mandatory for royalty to help the poor by giving them a small bag of alms before the Mass that day; I'd like to think this was the origin of the Holy Thursday dessert festival that occurs on my house -without delay- right before going out to Visit the Churchs. (I swear in my head this makes sense!)
It all starts with a nice Friday's soup for lunch, this is as it's name says a soup made for the Holy Friday but we like it so much we see it fitting, anyway, afterwards we prepare an arrangement of different local desserts that normally include arroz con leche, mazamorra morada and mazamorra de leche, all of which is eaten with a big yummy cinammon bun.
This year my father asked for an specific dessert and of course I felt it was my time to help out and came out with a nice dose of Arroz zambito, another type of pudding and delicious to the last bit!
This is my own take on the recipe.
My mother didn't even wait for me to take the picture!
Arroz Zambito
1 cup of rice
4 1/2 cup of water
12 grains of aniseed (anis)
2 spoons of grated coconut
1 spoon of butter
1/2 kg chancaca (it can be replaced with brown sugar but it tastes better this way)
1 pinch of salt
1 piece of cinammon
In a pan you mix the water, salt, aniseed and cinammon, as soon as it starts to boil the rice (washed if needed) its added and left there on low temperature until it cooks well.
In a different pot the chancaca (or brown sugar), coconut, butter and a bit of water is added, after a bit of waiting and moving things a bit you'll get a nice syrup. Now on most recipes you'll find raisins which you are free to add really, but I don't like them so I avoid them when I can, fell free though. =)
when the rice is done pour it over that dark syrup you just made and keep on a slow fire stirring until the water level goes down a bit.
I let it be when there is about an inch on top because I don't like it too dry, the recipe demanded for the mixture to be so tick you would be able to see the bottom of the pan and when you let it cool the rice will dry a bit more and you'll be able to cut it.
I loved the final result, it's a very easy recipe to follow and easy to eat as well!!
I loved the final result, it's a very easy recipe to follow and easy to eat as well!!
My mother didn't even wait for me to take the picture!
Oh well, I'll take that as acompliment then. ^___^
Hope you enjoyed this recipe and get to try it out.
~Karina
