As you already know, I have been to Egypt many times, but never really eating local cuisine. So after the recipe for Shurba Al fata, I wanted to ask an Egyptian friend (whom I thank!) for some particular and truly consumed recipe from his land.
He gave me the name of the dish in Arabic that I went to look up and translate. It is Roz maamar.
My Egyptian friend told me that it is a traditional dish, often cooked in his home and originating from the Menoufia area. A festive dish, meant for weddings and the end of Ramadan.
The peculiarity of Roz maamar, a kind of “rice pudding” is that it can be both a sweet and savory dish, depending on whether it is served as a side to a savory dish and therefore without adding sugar.
I returned to Egypt in February 2026, to Sharm El Sheikh, and there I tasted the Roz maamar you see in the photo, at the El Masrien restaurant in Old Sharm.
Below is the version accompanied by a stew, a photo sent to me by my Egyptian friend..
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Egyptian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice (short grain)
- 6 cups milk
- 3.5 oz butter
- 1/2 cup sugar (for the sweet version)
- to taste salt
Tools
- 4 Baking Dishes terracotta
Preparation
Mix in a pan, preferably with your hands, the rice together with softened butter and a pinch of salt.
Transfer it into a baking dish or four small ceramic or terracotta baking dishes.
If you want the sweet version: also add the sugar and mix well.
In the pan used before for the rice, heat the milk.
When it becomes lukewarm, pour it over the rice.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F on the lowest rack, checking every 20 minutes or so, breaking the crust that forms during cooking until the rice is fully cooked and soft, and has completely absorbed the liquid.
N.B: For the savory version, you can decide to alternate layers of rice with layers of meat previously cooked in a pan before baking.
The most suitable container to cook Roz maamar is a terracotta one, like this one you can buy online: Colì Maioliche e Terrecotte dal 1650 Brunella Terracotta Baking Dish with Lid, Brown, 23.87 €
