Mahalabiya Recipes

MAHALABIA (MIDDLE EASTERN-STYLE MILK PUDDING)

Steps:

• Combine milk and sugar together in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Whisk water and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth; stir into boiling milk. Cook milk mixture over medium heat until thickened to the consistency of cake batter, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir cream, rose water, and cardamom into milk mixture.
• Refrigerate milk mixture until completely cooled, 2 to 4 hours.

MAHALABIA (LEBANESE CARDAMOM PUDDING)

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup of the milk and cornstarch in a bowl and stir until smooth.
• Pour remaining milk into a pot and stir in sugar and cardamom extract. Heat over low heat, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pour milk mixture into 5 ramekins, cover, and cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• Combine water, sugar, and vanilla seeds in a pot and bring to a boil over low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Allow syrup to cool. Sprinkle each serving with pistachios and rose petals. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon syrup.

MAHALABIA (EGYPTIAN MILK PUDDING)

Steps:

• Combine milk, cream, sugar, vanilla sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan and whisk until well combined. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Pour pudding into 4 dessert bowls and allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled, 1 more hour. Sprinkle with cinnamon to serve.

MAHALABIA - A MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT

Steps:

• Make a paste with the cornflour and about 3 Tbsp of the fresh milk.
• Combine this cornflour paste, both types of milk and the sugar in a heavy based saucepan or milk pan and stir to mix.
• Bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring stirring it occasionally. After about 5 minutes, you'll notice the milk mixture begin to thicken slowly.
• Lower the heat down slightly to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes until the mahalabia resembles thick custard. Now you need to be careful here as the milk can catch if your heat is not low enough, or if the pan doesn't have a thick enough base. You don't want burnt milk or bits in your mahalabia! Just in case, do not scrape the bottom of the pan as you are stirring.
• When the mahalabia is as thick as custard, take it off the heat and add the rose/orange water (whatever you're using) and crushed cardamom seeds and stir.
• Pour into your chosen serving dishes or cups.
• Place in the fridge to cool for at least 4 hours. It will thicken when cold.If you are going to chill it overnight, cover the cups/dishes with cling film or saucers to prevent the Mahalabia from absorbing any smells but also to stop the surface from becoming dry.
• To serve, drizzle the rose syrup over it (if using) and sprinkle with nuts.

ARABIAN ROSE WATER PUDDING (MUHALBIYAH)

Steps:

• Whisk water, rose water, milk powder, sugar, and cornstarch together in a saucepan until smooth. Place over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, and cook until it begins to boil; cook at a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat immediately; stir a few times to help it cool.
• Divide the mixture between 8 small serving glasses; refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

MAHALABIYA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the milk, sugar, and cardamom pods and bring to a slow simmer. When bubbles start to form, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to steep the cardamom pods.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the cream until fully incorporated. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the hot milk, until it's thickened. When the mixture holds the imprint of the whisk's loops, remove it from the heat after about 5 minutes.
• Add the rose water and then pour the warm mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Transfer into four 6 oz. serving glasses or ramekins. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 to 6 hours to firm and chill.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, rose water, sugar, and ground cardamom and bring to a boil over high heat. Then turn down to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 10 minutes to release the fruit's juices. Uncover the pan and simmer until the liquid thickens and the strawberries soften, intensify in color, and start to shrink, another 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice. Adjust the sugar to taste. Let cool.
• Just before serving, spoon the compote onto each chilled custard and sprinkle with the pistachios and rose petals.