Originally from Israel, but also widespread in North Africa and throughout the Arab and Jewish Middle East, Malabi (or Muhallabia) is a sort of milk cream enriched with rose water and pistachio crumbs.
There are two ways to make Malabi: one is an old version based on rice flour, the other with cornstarch.
I opted for the version with rice flour.
Some flavor Malabi with rose water and others with orange blossom water.
Some ancient recipes require mastic: a resin from a shrub belonging to the pistachio family.
It is sold both as street food in markets (like Mahane Yehuda) and in elegant restaurants.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Arab
- Seasonality: All seasons, Ramadan
Malabi Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 3 cups milk
- 6 tbsps sugar
- salt
- 3/4 cup gluten-free powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 10 tsps rose water
- 1 tsp gluten-free cornstarch (optional)
- to taste pistachio crumbs
Preparation
Mix the flour with 10 tablespoons of milk (taken from the total).
Heat the milk, add the flour mix, sugar, a pinch of salt, and 3 tablespoons of water.
Bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
It’s better to use a whisk to avoid lumps.
Let it cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
For the syrup, combine the ingredients and bring to a boil.
Just before serving, transfer to cups, add the syrup and pistachio crumbs.
If you want to use organic rose syrup, you can find it online: Organic Rose Water 250ml – Distilled from Damask Rose Flowers
What are the other names for Malabi?
Malabi is such a widespread dessert that its name changes slightly depending on the region and language while maintaining the same identity.
Here are the main names it is known by:
Mahalabia / Muhallebi: It’s the most common name throughout the Arab world (Egypt, Jordan, Palestine) and in Turkey, where the Turkish version (Muhallebi) is a true institution of historic coffeehouses.
Keşkül: In Turkey, there is a specific variant called this, enriched with almond flour or chopped almonds in the mixture.
Sutlija / Sutlijaš: In the Balkans (Bosnia, Serbia, Albania), while technically referring to rice pudding, the term is sometimes used for similar milk puddings thickened with starch.
Mhallabiyeh (or Mahalabia) is one of the oldest and most widespread puddings in the Middle East, from Turkey to Lebanon, to Syria.
Biancomangiare: In Italy (especially in Sicily), there is a dessert almost identical in ingredients and philosophy, derived from the Arab rule on the island.
Kheer (variant): In India and Pakistan, although Kheer is usually made with whole rice, the version made with rice flour and milk is called Phirni, which has a very similar consistency to Mahalabia.
