Middle Eastern Baked Rice Pudding

Step 1: Cook rice in a saucepan of boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender and then drain.

Step 2: Combine 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid and the saffron in a small heatproof bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.

Step 4: Grease a 2 litre (8 cup) ovenproof dish.

Step 5: Combine rice, saffron mixture, milk, stevia-based sweetener, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom in a bowl and stir in the egg, raisins, almonds and apricots and mix well and pour into the prepared dish, level surface.

Step 6: Place dish in a roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the ovenproof dish.

Step 7: Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until custard is just set at centre.

Step 8: Carefully remove from oven, then carefully remove from roasting pan.

Step 9: Combine strawberries and essence in a bowl and serve with the warm pudding.