1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart pan. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to prevent its settling. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook the milk at a bubbling boil for 20 minutes. The rice will be thoroughly cooked and the milk reduced by half. Stir often to ensure that no skin forms.

2. Add carrots and continue cooking, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the carrots are cooked and most of the milk has been absorbed by the carrots, stirring often to prevent burning. The contents of the pan should reduce to a thick, pulpy sauce.

3. Add sugar and almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding is very thick and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan (about 10 minutes). Turn off heat and let the pudding cool to room temperature.

4. Stir in cardamom, rosewater and cream. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughy. Check the consistency of the pudding before serving. It should be slightly thinner than American rice pudding, but not runny. If it looks very thick, add a little milk (or more cream! - fat-lovin' Holly

-)). Serve in individual dishes, sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

Per author: You don't have to be a carrot lover to like this luscious pistachio-laced pudding. Although this dessert is popular throughout the North, it is really the favorite of the Punjabi....the desset is at its best when thoroughly chilled.

Holly's comments: Some brands of rosewater are stronger than others - start w. A lesser amount and adjust to taste. May be doubled w. No problem. May be made a day in advance - actually this is optimum to make sure it chills.