Video courtesy of Chef Ara Zada
Written Recipe by Robyn Kalajian (The Armenian Kitchen)
This Thanksgiving, make room beside the pie for a comforting classic—Gatnaboor, also spelled Gatnabour, the Armenian rice pudding that brings warmth and tradition to the dessert table. Creamy, fragrant, and gently sweet, it’s a dish that invites nostalgia and celebration in every spoonful.
From all of us at Kayhan Life, we wish our American readers a very Happy Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, connection, and delicious memories.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup uncooked rice short grain is best
- 4 cups warm milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp rose water optional
- ground cinnamon optional
Instructions:
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Stir in rice; reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until water is absorbed – about 15 minutes. Make sure rice doesn’t burn or stick to bottom of pot. Rice will be a bit ‘al dente’. Remove rice from pot and set aside. Wash and dry the pot before going on step #2.
- Add milk to the same 4-quart pot used in step #1. Heat milk until it is warm, but not boiling. Add the al dente rice to the warm milk and cook on low to medium heat for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture should be thickening at this point, as the milk begins to evaporate. Stir in the salt and sugar; cook for 15 minutes more and continue to stir. The mixture should begin to resemble thickened rice pudding. Remove from heat and stir in the rose water, if using.
- Pour pudding into individual dessert dishes; allow cool at room temperature. Serve immediately. The pudding can also be served chilled. Sprinkle top with cinnamon just before serving, if desired.
Notes:
- I used skim milk and it came out great! The rose water and cinnamon added very subtle, satisfying flavors to the pudding.
- For a more festive touch, sprinkle the top with ground pistachio nuts, or add lemon or orange zest to the mixture as it cooks.
