Rice kheer with chocolate and mandarin

Step 1

First make the kheer. Put the rice in a sieve, rinse under warm running water then leave to soak in a bowl of warm water for 1 hour. Drain well

Step 2

Pour the full-fat milk into a heavy-based pan, add the drained rice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, or until a grain of rice breaks easily when pressed gently between your fingers

Step 3

By now, most of the milk should have been absorbed and the mixture will be quite thick

Step 4

Over a low heat, reduce the mandarin juice to half the volume

Step 5

Stir the sugar into the rice over a gentle heat, then pour in the reduced mandarin juice, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cardamom. Leave to cool and then chill. Lastly add the mandarin segments and set aside until needed

Step 6

For the dark chocolate rabdi, scatter the hazelnuts onto a baking tray and bake in a medium oven for 3-5 minutes or until starting to turn brown and crisp. Crush them in a bag with a rolling pin

Step 7

Put the milk and cream in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has reduced to a third of its original volume

Step 8

Remove from the heat, stir in the dark chocolate, cocoa powder and crushed hazelnuts, leave to cool. Chill thoroughly

Step 9

To serve, pour the chilled mandarin rice kheer into in a martini glass until ¾ full. Pour over a thin layer of dark chocolate rabdi and garnish with an orange slice