Muhalabia

Muhalabia is a milk pudding, which has legendary origin dating back to Sassanid Persia (224-651). In a 19th-century English cookbook Muhalabia was called “Ramadan cakes”.

The earliest Muhalabia recipes, dat back to the 10th century. It was introduced into Arab cuisine in the late seventh century by a Persian cook who served it to an Arab leader “Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra”. He liked it so much, and named it after his name.

Muhalabia is the favorite traditional dessert in the Syrian cuisine especially during Ramadan.

It is very easy to cook Muhalabia, its basic components rice, milk and sugar. It may be flavored with rose or orange water.

Mahalabia is served in small plates and sprinkled with nuts. It is considered one of the main dishes that served at weddings, parties, special occasions and at the celebration of the birth of a new child in a family.

Ingredients

3 cups milk

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup cold water

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon rose water

2 cardamom pods, crushed

  Pine nuts (sprinkle on the surface)

Preparation

1- Combine milk and sugar together in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.

2- Whisk water and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth; stir into boiling milk. Cook milk mixture over medium heat until it thickens – it needs to reach boiling point to cook the corn flour.

 3- Remove saucepan from heat and stir cream, rose water, and cardamom into milk mixture.

4-Refrigerate milk mixture until completely cooled, and serve pudding in small plates with chopped nuts.

Hamsa Zugheb