Rice pudding with cardamom and almonds with Pomegranate and rose water syrup

Serves 4

1 teaspoon butter
50g pudding rice, soaked for an hour, drained
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds ground
1.5 litres whole milk
3 tablespoons of whole almonds
100g golden caster sugar
300ml POM Wonderful juice
½ teaspoon rosewater
50 g pistachio nuts, chopped
crystalised rose petals to serve
2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds

Heat the butter in a pan. Add the soaked rice and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the cardamom and milk and cook over a low heat for an hour until the rice absorbs the milk stirring every now and then.

Mix together the almonds and caster sugar in a food processor until they are powdery, even a bit pastey is fine and then stir in the almond paste and cook out for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

Pop the POM Wonderful in a small pan, bring to the boil and reduce by 2/3 until syrupy. Remove from the heat then add the rosewater before cooling

Serve the rice pudding in glasses topped with a drizzle of syrup, some pistachios, rose petals and pomegranate seeds.