Description
A comforting and wholesome vanilla and cinnamon breakfast rice featuring wholemeal basmati rice simmered with aromatic spices, served with tender dried apricots, creamy yogurt, and crunchy walnuts. This recipe balances warm, fragrant flavors with a nutritious start to your day.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice Mixture
- 200g wholemeal basmati rice
- 200ml whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 600ml water
Apricot Compote
- 12 dried apricots, split in half widthways (to keep appearance whole)
- 300ml water
Toppings
- 4 x 100ml pots bio yogurt
- 12 walnut halves, broken into pieces
Instructions
- Prepare the Rice: Tip the wholemeal basmati rice into a large, deep non-stick pan. Add the water, whole milk, vanilla extract, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover with a lid and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is tender. Keep an eye on the pan to ensure it doesn’t boil dry towards the end of cooking.
- Cook the Apricots: Meanwhile, place the dried apricots in a small pan with 300ml of water. Cook over low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until the apricots become tender. Once cooked, set them aside along with their cooking juices.
- Combine Yogurt with Rice: After removing the bay leaves and cinnamon stick from the rice, stir in half of the bio yogurt to enrich and add creaminess to the dish.
- Serve: Spoon the yogurt-mixed rice into bowls. Top each serving with the remaining bio yogurt, the cooked apricots with their juices, and sprinkle the broken walnut pieces on top for a nutty crunch.
- Storage and Reheating: Both rice and apricots can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored chilled separately. When ready to eat, the dish can be served cold or reheated gently with a splash of milk added to loosen the texture.
Notes
- Use a non-stick pan to prevent the thick rice mixture from sticking during simmering.
- Splitting apricots widthways helps retain their shape while cooking.
- Maintain moisture by watching the rice towards the end of cooking to avoid it drying out.
- Adding vanilla extract enhances the comforting aroma perfect for breakfast.
- The recipe can be enjoyed warm or cold depending on preference.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: International
Keywords: breakfast rice, vanilla cinnamon rice, wholemeal basmati rice, healthy breakfast, yogurt breakfast, apricot compote, nutritious morning meal
