Make Rice Water or Agua Horchata like the Mexican Restaurants do

 If you are like me, you LOVE to eat authentic Mexican food. Yummy! I especially love their delicious creamy Agua Horchata or Rice Water. After paying a lot for this treat over the years, I finally got a recipe from a couple Hispanic persons and the internet and I now make my own at home that tastes so much like the Mexican's make. Try it and see!! It's not complicated, just a bit unusual. Be patient with the straining...it is necessary for a delicious end product. You won't be sorry you tried it!! There is some sediment with this drink, but just don't tip the glass so far when you drink it. I don't mind the sediment so much because I love the drink! For the best results, Make this about 12 hours before serving, like before going to bed. It needs to be REALLY cold for it's full flavorful effect!! Great Breakfast treat!!

• Blender
• 3/4 C long grain white rice (dry)
• water
• 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• more water
• Crushed Ice/Ice
• colander or strainer with very small holes
• 2 qt. pitcher

• Step 1

[BTW, I use the plunger type of pitcher for this so I can easily stir it up whenever I'm ready to serve it.] Read through the directions first to make sure you understand it all before doing it.

• Step 2

Pour 3/4 C rice in a blender and pour enough water to cover the rice by an inch. Let this soak for an hour.

• Step 3

Add the cinnamon and vanilla. [The Hispanics told me they like to use liquid cinnamon and Mexican vanilla, but so far, I've not been able to find either in my local supermarket. So regular also works well.] Blend all on highest speed for 10-15 seconds until finely ground. Drain the liquid carefully through a colander or strainer into a pitcher. Use a scraper to move around the grainy rice/cinnamon sediment to make sure all the liquid is out.

• Step 4

Do NOT throw away the rice sediment yet!! You still need it to blend more to get the full starchy flavor out of it!! Return the ground rice sediment from the strainer to the blender again. Add the sweetened condensed milk and 2 cups of cold water and blend on high again for 10-15 seconds. Rinse the colander/strainer if it seems blocked with "sediment." Again, drain this batch of milky rice water through the colander or strainer into the same pitcher that has the first strained rice water in it. Use the scraper to make sure all the liquid is out. Now you can discard the ground rice sediment! Rinse the colander well. Rinse the blender well too.

• Step 5

I always strain the rice water in the pitcher at this point again through the colander/strainer to the blender because a lot slips through. Use the rubber spatula again to make sure all liquid is out of rice particles. Discard remaining rice sediment and rinse out colander/strainer. Your sink will seem like a sand storm hit it, but it is ok, just wash it down.

• Step 6

One last time, strain the rice water from the blender back through the strainer/colander to the pitcher and discard any sediment left in the colander/strainer. Now, you want to add 3 cups more cold water to the 2 qt. pitcher at this time and fill it the rest of the way with crushed ice. Let set in frig overnight. Plunge to mix it up (there will still be some sediment at the bottom, but it is ok. It won't hurt you if you chug it. I just drink the rice water up to the point the sediment tips in the glass. You will love this delicious drink. It is cheap to do it yourself instead of paying about $3.00-$4.00 a glass in a Mexican Restaurant!! Enjoy! Ole!!