Agua de Horchata (Mexican Rice and Cinnamon Drink)
A cold, creamy Mexican drink of rice, cinnamon and vanilla, served over lots of ice.
Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.
Horchata is one of the aguas frescas you find in big glass jars at taquerías all over Mexico, next to jamaica and tamarindo. It is made from rice soaked with cinnamon, blended and strained, then sweetened and served very cold. The result tastes like a drinkable rice pudding, light enough for a hot afternoon and perfect next to spicy tacos.
The Thermomix® TM7™ grinds the dry rice and the cinnamon stick into a powder first, so it soaks faster and gives more flavor to the water. After the soak, one blend turns it creamy, and a fine strainer or a nut milk bag takes out the grit. Most of the time is just waiting while it soaks.
Made in the Thermomix® TM7™
Agua de Horchata (Mexican Rice and Cinnamon Drink)
Makes: About 2 L (8 cups)
- Prep15 min
- Cook0 min
- Total4 h 15 min
- Serves8
Ingredients
To serve
Instructions
- Place the rice and the cinnamon pieces in the mixing bowl and grind 1 min/speed 10, until powdery.
- Add the warm water and mix 10 sec/speed 3. Leave it in the mixing bowl with the lid on to soak for at least 4 hours at room temperature, or remove the bowl from the base and refrigerate it overnight.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and blend 1 min/speed 5-10, increasing speed gradually.
- Set a fine strainer lined with cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag, over a large pitcher. Pour the mixture through and squeeze well to get all the liquid out. Discard the solids.
- Stir the cold water and the milk into the pitcher. Taste and add a little more sugar if you like it sweeter.
- Refrigerate until very cold. Stir well before serving, since it settles, and pour over ice with a pinch of ground cinnamon and a cinnamon stick.
Tips
- Look for Mexican cinnamon (canela, sometimes labeled Ceylon cinnamon) in the Hispanic aisle. It is softer and grinds easily, with a sweeter flavor.
- For a dairy-free horchata, replace the milk with more water or with unsweetened almond milk.
- For a richer version, add 40 g blanched almonds (1/4 cup) to the rice in step 1.
- Horchata keeps 3 days in a covered pitcher in the fridge.
