This Rose Mahalabia – a Middle Eastern Love Pudding, is the perfect light and floral treat. It is a gluten-free milk pudding, flavored with rose water and cardamom and topped with rose petals and pistachio, which all come together in about 10 minutes. Mahalabia can be made in advance and is the perfect, light dessert to have, especially during the month of Ramadan! It also is great for parties, edible gifts and especially, dessert tables.
What is Mahalabia?
Mahalabia is a sweet milky pudding that has a standard base that you can flavor and customize to your liking. If you prefer fruity puddings, then you incorporate fruit flavors and garnish them with chopped fruits. If like me, you prefer nutty and floral notes, then you will love this recipe. My all-time favorite is Rose Mahalabia and after much experimenting, I am excited to share the recipe for my Middle-Eastern Love Pudding below.
I love experimenting in the kitchen and consider myself a bit of a foodie. Having traveled quite extensively, especially to Turkey and the Middle East, I became quite accustomed to the local delicacies. I remember the first time I had Mahalabia (or rather, Muhallebi, which is its Turkish name). It was on a cold snowy day in Istanbul. I remember walking past Hafiz Mustafa for the first time and being in awe of the colorful assortment of pudding cups they had on display. They looked too good to resist.
What does Mahalabia taste like?
Having no idea what it tastes like, whether it was sweet or salty, whether it was eaten cold or warm, I pointed to the brightest one and ordered it. I can still remember my first spoonful… it truly was heavenly! I had chosen a vivid yellow almond-flavored one. The soft and sweet milky pudding (which was cold by the way) blended perfectly with the coconut flakes, pistachio, and almond toppings. It was outrageously indulgent.
Different flavors of Mahalabia
After that initial experience, I must have sampled Mahalabia numerous times in various countries. The last time I had it was in Egypt. It was totally different from the Turkish one that I remember but just as good. In Egypt, they leaned more towards fruitier mahalabia such as strawberry, apricot, and mango. If you prefer fruitier flavors, then feel free to change up this Rose Mahalabia Love Pudding recipe to a strawberry version instead – it would look and taste just as delicious!
Ingredients needed to make Rose Mahalabia – Middle-Eastern Love Pudding
- Milk: This is the main ingredient and that’s why for best results, use full-fat / whole milk for a rich and creamy texture. You could still use semi-skimmed milk in this recipe, but it might not be as rich. If you want a non-dairy version, I have tried this recipe with cashew milk before and it has worked well. You could even try it with coconut milk, almond milk, or any other dairy-free milk.
- Cream: Adding cream makes the mahalabia indulgent and thicker. For dairy-free, you could substitute with coconut cream OR add an extra cup of the dairy-free milk that you are using.
- Sugar: I only added half a cup of sugar due to the rose syrup also being very sweet. If you want it sweeter, you can adjust based on your preferences.
- Cornstarch: This is the key ingredient to making it a thick custard-like consistency. If you prefer not to use corn starch, you can substitute it with rice flour, but this will give it a slightly grainier texture.
- Flavorings: Mahalabia can be made in any flavors that you like. As this is a rose-flavored mahalabia, I used Rose Syrup (this is the one I used) and rose water for that sweet floral fragrance. I believe cardamom powder is an absolute must to flavor the mahalabia. It adds to the aroma and blends all the flavors.
- Garnishes: For garnish, this Rose Mahalabia works perfectly with crushed or chopped pistachios, sliced almonds, and dried rose or hibiscus petals. The colors create a beautiful contrast and make the pudding look visually more royal. If you are making different flavors, you could also add chopped fruits, coconut flakes, chocolate sauce, etc. The list is endless – you can be as creative as you want!
How to make Rose Mahalabia – Middle Eastern Love Pudding
Whilst trying to stay balanced, and making sure I can give everything sufficient time, I always opt for quick and easy recipes (such as this spicy baked feta pasta). I don’t want to be spending an entire day in the kitchen and neglect other tasks, especially in the month of Ramadan. But I don’t want something that shows no effort or creativity either! That is why I love this recipe – it is simple, with limited ingredients, but looks and tastes luxurious and delightfully rich!
The best thing about this recipe is that it is a one-pan recipe! The mixing is all done directly in the saucepan and then it is transferred to the stove.
- Prepare all your ingredients. For the cardamom powder, take about 3 cardamom pods, open them up and crush the seeds into a fine powder by using a mortar and pestle.
- In a heavy-based medium saucepan, add your milk of choice, sugar, and cornstarch and whisk until the cornstarch is well dissolved.
- Add in the cardamom powder and rose syrup and mix very well until there are no clumps.
- Add in the whipping cream (or an extra cup of milk if not using cream). Whisk well until it is smooth.
- Now transfer the saucepan to the stove and place it on medium heat. Continue whisking the milk mixture for 5 minutes continuously.
- After 5 minutes, lower the heat to medium-low. You will see the mixture start to thicken into a custard-like consistency. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to continue stirring for another 5 minutes. Be careful not to scrape the bottom as if the milk starts to dry or burn, it can stick to the bottom of the pan and create unnecessary bits in your smooth mixture.
- Once the Mahalabia has a pudding or custard-type of consistency, remove from the heat and stir in the rose water.
- Pour the Mahalabia into individual serving cups (I like to use clear ones so you can see the beautiful color and texture clearly). Let it cool for 10 minutes. If you prefer, you could even pour the mahalabia into one large glass bowl or dish instead of individual servings.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to allow it to thicken.
- For best results, prepare it the night before so that it has ample time for the flavors to fuse together. It tastes much better the day after.
- Before serving, decorate the mahalabia with the chopped pistachios and rose petals, or garnish of choice.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @balancedbayt. I would LOVE to see your creations.
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