Creamy, comforting, make-ahead, and pretty as a picture, Indian rice pudding will solve your sweet course. Topped with nuts of your choice for some crunch, this is a satisfying way to end a meal.
Gently rinse the rice in a bowl filled with water to cover it. Rinse until the water is clear enough to see your hand.
If you want to shorten the cooking time, soak the rice you are using for 30 minutes. This not only shortens the cooking time, but you will need up to 1/2 cup less milk.
If using whole cardamom pods, coarsely crush them in a mortar and pestle. Remove the seeds, discard the shells and grind to a fine powder. You can also use a heavy pan or another heavy object to open the pods up and grind the spice. Skip this step if you are using ground cardamom.
In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan pour in the milk, coconut milk, and the rice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and add the sugar and ground cardamom. Stir to melt the sugar. Cook until the rice is tender, not mushy, stirring frequently to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This will take between 30 to 40 minutes if you have soaked the rice. If you haven't the cooking time will be between 1 hour and an hour and 20 minutes, depending on the rice you are using. Keep an eye on the pudding as it cooks, and add a little more milk if it is getting too thick.
Gather the garnishes you would like to use and while the rice is cooking, toast the nuts and raisins.
If you are using a mix of nuts, start with the whole cashews and toast in a small pan over medium heat until they are starting to brown. This will take a couple of minutes. Add the almonds and toast another 2 more minutes. Finally, add the pistachios and raisins and sauté for another minute or two. The pistachios should just be warmed up and the raisins softened.
Test the rice between two fingers, starting at the 30-minute mark for soaked rice, and at the 50-minute mark if unsoaked. It should be cooked through, but not mushy. Add milk if you would like the pudding to be a little soupier. Top the Indian rice pudding with the toasted garnishes and shower with saffron, if using. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.