C'etait de la cardamome!

This household is in an Indian food frenzy of late. We've managed to get tons of excellent spices on the cheap from a local Indian market, and I'm in a tizzy from all the entrancing aromas wafting out of the pantry. I'll have some god stuff up soon in terms of savory dishes, but how 'bout a little something sweet, something not too exotic, but perfumed with enough subtle spice to feel special? How 'bout some rice pudding?

I made this rice pudding with leftover boiled brown basmati rice, then put it in a saucepan with an equal amount of coconut milk, a little sugar, a handful of raisins, a couple cloves, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a generous grating of nutmeg and fresh ginger, and a few intoxicatingly fragrant green cardamom pods. All that was left was to allow it to simmer for a few minutes, then scoop it into a bowl and top it with cold milk and a garnish of chopped almonds and pistachios. I made plenty extra to mellow out and cool in the fridge-- I love it cold even more than warm!