Yummy and Easy Rice Pudding Recipe- Vegan, Refined Sugar Free, Cheap

I really want to apologize for slacking on the blog front lately. I really meant to pick up the pace with the posting this week, but unfortunately this week was just as crazy as last week. I don't think I've had 2 busier weeks in my life... Crazy busy, crazy tired. I've been running on virtually no sleep, constant brain fog... I've been so exhausted that I suspected I might have mono (got a referral for a blood test, just haven't done it yet), but now I'm thinking it's just lack of sleep, because for the first time in ages I got a good night's sleep last night- 8 hours straight- and today I can actually see straight, think clearly, and come out of my haze... I must just have been severely overtired...

Anyone, in the middle of the craziness, we had a breakfast get together with friends in my community. It was potluck style with everyone bringing one dish or two... I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to eat anything that anyone else brought, what with my gluten, dairy, and egg sensitivities... So I wanted to bring a dish that was filling enough that even if that was all I had to eat, it would be enough...
I was also pressed for time, so didn't want to bake some gluten free goodies... Speaking of which, I've noticed that some people aren't so thrilled with gluten free goodies, even when I thought they tasted awesome, so I wanted to make something that was naturally gluten free so everyone would like it.
I decided to go with rice pudding, since I knew I could make it in the pressure cooker and it would be ready in no time.

This rice pudding was such a hit, even though it was missing all the standard ingredients from rice pudding- other than rice and cinnamon. It was vegan, and didn't even have any vegan milks in it, both to keep it cheaper, and because I was lazy and didn't feel like making them, but it was still terrific. I made it refined sugar free, but feel free to use regular sugar in it if you want it to be cheaper.

Yummy and Easy Rice Pudding Recipe- Vegan, Refined Sugar Free, Cheap

Ingredients:
2 cups raw rice (I used medium grain, but short or long would probably also be fine)
7-8 cups water
3/4- 1 1/2 cups jaggery (or coconut sugar, sucanat, brown sugar, or white sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 pinch powdered vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut, but any non strongly flavored would be ok)

Instructions:
1. If you have a pressure cooker, put the rice and 6 cups of water in the pressure cooker, and bring to pressure for 5 minutes, then let it depressurize. If you don't have a pressure cooker, put 7 cups of water in the rice, and cook covered on the stove until most of the water is absorbed.

2. Add another cup of water, sweetener, cinnamon, and vanilla and a smaller amount of salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until the water is mostly absorbed and you have a nice and creamy texture.

3. Add more salt if necessary, and then add oil.

4. Serve either hot or cold.

Enjoy!

Note: Jaggery is less sweet than other sweeteners, so I used the larger amount. If using a sweeter sweetener, use the lesser amount. Adjust to taste.

Are you a fan of rice pudding? What do you put in yours? Are you a cheapskate when you make yours, or do you put in expensive ingredients? Do you think you'd try it out this way?