Champorado, Chocolate Rice Porridge

📝 Ingredients

• 90 g arborio rice (short-grain rice)
• 560 ml semi-skimmed milk (500 ml for cooking, 60 ml for serving)
• 200 ml water
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (15 g)
• 2 tbsp caster sugar (25 g)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 banana (about 120 g peeled)
• 200 g plain 0% skyr

🍴 Utensils

• Heavy-bottomed saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Small whisk
• Bowl
• Knife

📖 Steps

1. Put the rice in a heavy-based saucepan with 200 ml water and the pinch of salt, without rinsing it: its starch is what makes the champorado creamy. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then cook for 5 min until the water is almost absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, put the cocoa and sugar in a bowl and mix them with 4 tbsp milk taken from the 500 ml for cooking, whisking until you have a smooth, lump-free paste.
3. Pour the rest of the 500 ml milk over the rice, then the cocoa paste, and mix well. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring: the milk must not come to a rolling boil, or it will boil over and stick to the bottom.
4. Turn the heat down low and cook for 20 to 25 min at a gentle simmer, uncovered, stirring every 2 to 3 min with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom well, where the rice tends to stick.
5. Keep cooking until the grains are meltingly soft and the texture is like a thick but still pourable rice pudding. If the mixture thickens too quickly while the rice is still firm, turn the heat down to the minimum and half-cover.
6. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and leave to rest for 2 min: the champorado thickens further as it cools slightly. Meanwhile, peel the banana and slice it into rounds.
7. Divide the champorado between two bowls and drizzle 30 ml cold milk over each bowl. Add the banana slices and 100 g skyr per bowl, and serve hot or warm.