A Vegan’Nog that doubles as a rich and good-for-you drink. The raw method requires chilling overnight. But the heat method doesn’t.
Ingredients:
½ – ¾ cup brown rice*
1 ½ cup pure water
2 clove buds
contents of 1 black teabag
1 ½ cup non-dairy milk of your choice**
seeds scrapped from ½ vanilla pod
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch sea salt
Optional ingredients to serve:
dash nutmeg per serving (optional)
1-3 tablespoons coconut milk (optional)
Tips on Ingredients: *short-grain brown rice will yield a milder flavor than long-grain, but the taste of rice is not overpowering, so choose the one you like best. The rice will not be very soft after soaking.
Alternatively, use long-grain white rice and your result will be a brighter white drink, with color from maple syrup, cinnamon and tea.
**I use almond milk, because it’s my current favorite, but any nut milk or oat milk would be delicious!
Raw Method:
1. Prepare dry ingredients and water: Cut open the teabag and pour contents in a clean, sterilized, lidded jar. Pour in the rice and two cloves. Stir the mix with a spoon. Pour the water over these dry ingredients. Close cover tight and shake to make sure everything is mixed.
2. Allow to infuse for 8-12 hours: Set the jar on the kitchen counter and allow the rice mixture to soak overnight. Best is to soak for at least 8 hours. See Notes below if you are short on time!
3. Blend the mixture to break down the rice: The next day, pour the contents of the jar into a blender. Blitz on high for a minute or so and see that the rice grains are well-broken down and the mixture is thick.
4. Next, separate the rice mixture from the water: Pour the contents of the jar through a fine-mesh strainer lined with muslin or cheesecloth, and press with the back of a spoon to get all the water from the grains. Pull up the ends of the cloth and twist and press and squeeze to extract more water. Put the solids in a container for another use.
5. Pour the strained water back into the blender.
6. Add spices and sweetener and blend: Add ground cinnamon, seeds from the vanilla pod, and the maple syrup to the rice water in the blender. Pour in the milk. Blend on med-high for a few seconds to incorporate all the ingredients.
7. Serve: Pour into individual glasses, add coconut milk and dash of nutmeg, if using and serve.
Notes:
If you’re short on time, you could flash-soften the rice by introducing heat into the process and save about 6 hours from your infusing, or soaking time.
Heat Method:
Instead of following #1 above, place the dry ingredients and water into a heavy-bottomed pan on your stovetop. Turn on the heat and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, remove from the stovetop and place a lid over the heated mixture. The idea is to not cook the rice. All you want is slightly softened rice grains that release their essence into the water, but not cooked at all.
Cool to room temperature, for about 2 hours. Once cooled, skip to # 3 above and continue the recipe.
This recipe is inspired by Rachel de Thample’s “Brown Rice Horchata” in Vital Teas and Tonics, see more here. Katie Button, who’s cookbook Curate is reviewed here, says that in Spain, horchata is prepared with tiger nuts, a starchy nut, rather than a grain. On the other side of the Atlantic, Hispanic cooks use rice or barley, and nuts such as almonds. You could make an horchata—a drink of a nut-flavored water plus spices from just almonds, sweetener and water. Then add cinnamon and cacao nibs, according to Maricel Presilla, for extra punch.
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