Recipe: Tibetan rice pudding

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Note: Adapted from “Beyond the Great Wall.” Broken

rice (the broken grains that result from rice milling) is available at most Asian markets.

1 cup broken rice

Pinch of salt

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup packed dried apples, preferably organic, chopped into one-half-inch or smaller pieces

3 tablespoons clover or other flower honey, plus extra for drizzling

Yogurt for garnish

Butter (optional)

1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a small heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. Add the rice to the pot. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until most of the water is absorbed and the rice is soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Add the salt, then stir in the milk and apples. Increase the heat and bring back nearly to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until very thick, 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. After 30 minutes, stir in the honey.

3. Serve with a drizzle of honey and a generous dollop of yogurt and, if desired, a bit of butter.

Each three-fourths-cup serving: 189 calories; 5 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 3 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 9 mg. cholesterol; 6 mg. sodium.