Malban (Egyptian rose and nut jelly sweets)
Chewy rose-scented starch jelly cubes with nuts, rolled in icing sugar
Malban is the Egyptian cousin of Turkish delight, sold by weight in Cairo sweet shops all year but piled highest for Ramadan nights and the Mawlid sweets of the Prophet's birthday. A syrup of sugar and lemon is cooked with cornflour for the best part of an hour into a thick, clear jelly, scented with rose water and a little mastic and studded with pistachios or hazelnuts. Cut into cubes and rolled in icing sugar, it is soft, springy and chewy, sweet and floral. Serve it with mint tea or Turkish-style coffee. It is naturally egg-free: cornflour, cooked slowly in the syrup, sets it into a firm jelly, with no other setting agent. Chef's tip: whisk the cornflour mixture into the syrup in a thin stream and keep stirring. The common mistake is stopping too early, which gives a soft jelly that weeps and won't hold a cube.
- Total time
- 320 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 14 oz granulated sugar
- 2 cups waterdivided
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 ⅞ oz cornflour
- 1 ½ tbsp rose water
- 2 mastic tears (optional)ground with 1 tsp sugar
To coat
- 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar
- ⅔ oz cornflour
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Line an 18 cm square tin with baking paper and dust it with a little of the coating cornflour.
Step 2: Put 14 oz granulated sugar, 1 cup water and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a heavy pan over a medium heat, stir until dissolved, then boil for 3 minutes until slightly syrupy.
6 minStep 3: Meanwhile, whisk 2 ⅞ oz cornflour with 1 cup water in a jug until completely smooth.
Step 4: Lower the heat to medium-low and pour the cornflour mixture into the syrup in a thin stream, whisking hard. It will turn cloudy and thick within a minute.
2 minStep 5: Switch to a wooden spoon and cook, stirring every minute or two and constantly towards the end, for 45–50 minutes, until it turns translucent and pale gold, pulls away from the pan in one mass, and a drop in cold water forms a soft, chewy ball (about 250°F).
48 minStep 6: Take it off the heat and stir in 1 ½ tbsp rose water, 2 mastic tears if using, and 2 ⅞ oz pistachios or blanched hazelnuts.
Step 7: Scrape into the tin and smooth the top with an oiled spatula. Leave uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until firm and springy.
240 minStep 8: Mix 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar and ⅔ oz cornflour. Turn the slab out onto the mixture, cut into 2.5 cm cubes with an oiled knife and roll each in the coating. Keeps 2 weeks in an airtight box with extra coating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does malban (Egyptian rose and nut jelly sweets) take?
- About 320 minutes in total: 260 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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