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Mahalabeya (Egyptian milk pudding)
مهلبية (mahalabeya): silky cornflour milk pudding scented with rose water, topped with pistachios
Every corner sweet shop in Cairo has trays of mahalabeya cooling in the window, and at home it is the dessert made in ten minutes when guests ring to say they're coming. Milk is thickened with cornflour into a trembling, silky pudding, scented with rose or orange-blossom water and topped with chopped pistachios or coconut. Serve chilled in small glasses. Lumps are the usual complaint: mix the cornflour into cold milk first, never into hot. Chef's tip: stir in the rose water only after the pan comes off the heat; boiling kills its perfume. Contains milk and nuts (pistachio topping).
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 litre whole milk
- 2 ½ oz cornflour
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tbsp rose wateror orange-blossom water
- 1 oz pistachioschopped
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconutopt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 ½ oz cornflour into 250 ml of the cold 0.3 litre whole milk until completely smooth.
2 minStep 2: Heat the rest of 0.8 litre whole milk with 3 ½ oz sugar in a heavy pan over a medium heat until steaming and the sugar has dissolved.
5 minStep 3: Whisk in the cornflour mixture and keep whisking over a medium-low heat until the pudding thickens, bubbles slowly and coats a spoon thickly. Cook for 2 more minutes so it loses the floury taste.
7 minStep 4: Take off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp rose water.
1 minStep 5: Pour into 6 glasses, cool, then chill for at least 2 hours until set. Top with 1 oz pistachios and 2 tbsp desiccated coconut just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mahalabeya (Egyptian milk pudding) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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