Liliko'i Rice Pudding

Photo: One of the many baskets full of liliko'i we have gathered this year so far... We have about this many every three or four days!

In Hawaii passionfruit is called Liliko'i.  I find it is one of the most versatile fruits to use as you can use it in so many ways.  We have several vines on the property that came up as volunteers.  So far this year they have produced 2 crops and I expect to have another one ready to harvest around the holidays.

You can find passionfruit juice sometimes on the mainland in frozen concentrate form  in Asian or Hispanic markets. South Americans call it Maracuya and you can also look for it under that name.

I wanted to experiment making rice pudding flavored with the taste of liliko'i and I also wanted to see if I could make it in the crockpot.  The results were delicious, but I hit a small snag.  When I added the liliko'i syrup to the milk in the crockpot, there was a bit of curdling.  It did not affect the taste, but I didn't like the looks of it so I put the rice pudding in the blender and made it smooth.  We liked the silky texture very much.

Photo: Liliko'i syrup in the little glass pitcher and fresh liliko'i blooms garnishing the pudding bowl.  A piece of the vine and fresh fruit completes the setting.  The back drop is a framed Chinese embroidered silk panel I got from my mom's house in NC during my recent trip.

Liliko'i Rice Pudding

1 cup rice (I had Calrose so that is what I used)
5 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
2 cups sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup liliko'i syrup (*)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook until it reaches the desired consistency. We like ours creamy, so I let it cook for 4 1/2 hours. Stir every once in a while during the cooking process.

The pudding is not your traditional completely snow white pudding as the passionfruit juice is yellow/orange and it colored the rice a bit.

(*) Taste it first before adding more to make sure you like it milder or stronger.

To make the liliko'i syrup
Pour passion fruit juice in a saucepan and add sugar to taste.  Cook until it reaches the desired syrupy consistency. Passionfruit is quite tart on its own so it needs quite a bit of sugar.

Bring to a slow boil and let it simmer until it reaches the syrupy stage you like best. Don't overcook or it will get too dense.

My crockpot is a 3 Qt West Bend and the temperature was set for High.

I used the blender to make it smooth.... More pudding-like

YIELD: Not sure yet how many portions but the 3 Qt crockpot is a bit over 3/4 full

SOURCE: Sonia's recipe

Other posts and recipes featuring liliko'i:

Demo at the Farmer's Market

Gifts from the Kitchen

A passion for liliko'i

Liliko'i...the passionate fruit and the Elizabeth Cake

Passion Fruit Hot Peper Jelly

Enjoy!

 

Comments

[Sonia]

Great idea, Claudia....Mahalo nui.

I visited your blogsite and left a comment....will drop by more often!

[Claudia]

I'm enjoying your sites. Couldn't resist this one as I make lots of lilikoi syrup myself. If you make a creamy rice pudding it is very nice just topped with a drizzle of lilikoi syrup, as is cheese cake with a layer on top. No coloring then or curdling.