Mouhalabieh (Milk Pudding)
Updated July 3, 2024
- Total Time
- 3 ¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes, plus 3 hours’ cooling and chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 3cups plus 2 tablespoons/750 milliliters whole milk or almond milk
- ½cup plus 1½ tablespoons/120 grams sugar
- 1teaspoon ground mastic (see Tip)
- ½cup plus 1 tablespoon/80 grams cornstarch
- Finely chopped pistachios, to garnish
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium pot, combine about two-thirds of the milk with the sugar and mastic over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining milk until smooth. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon and making sure the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom or sides. Cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding begins to boil and has begun to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. (The mixture should be thick yet creamy, not stiff.)
- Step 2
Remove the pot from the heat, stir well and immediately pour into glass serving bowls or glasses. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Step 3
Garnish with the pistachios and serve.
- Mastic, also known as mastiha, is a fragrant resin from an evergreen tree that grows primarily in Greece. It has a pine-like flavor and is available online and at specialty shops in both powdered form and as translucent tears. If using tears, freeze first, to firm up, then grind with a pinch of sugar in a mortar and pestle or electric mill, or cover with plastic wrap and crush with a rolling pin.
Private Notes
Comments
No gelatin in Mehallabiya! Its an authentic arabian pudding. In Kuwait, they flavor it with orange blossom water. In Egypt, with vanilla or rose water. In Lebanon, rose water and sometimes mastic. Every Arab country have their own version of Mehallabiya. Kuwaitis call it “Emhalbiya”, Egyptians “Mehallabiya”, in Lebanon and Syria “Mhalbiyyee”. If you have access to buffalo milk, use it here! It takes it to another level. If you have some clotted cream; mix a TS when u turn off the heat.
Those who ask about other uses for Mastic, let me tell you about some delicious ways of incorporating it into ur dishes, the arabs way! 1) before cooking ur rice, melt 3 to 5 mastic pearls with some oil and butter or ghee, then add ur rice and liquid, the result will be heavenly! 2) add a few pearls to ur chicken/meat stock pot and thank me later! 3) melt a pearl or two with some fats before searing ur meats. (Dont be generous with mastic, it’ll impart a sour taste if used more than needed)
This is, in fact, a beloved Palestinian dessert and that’s not a political statement. It’s a recipe. Happy to see a recipe from Chef Kattan. We make this a bit different in Lebanon with rose water but there’s natural variations in the recipe depending where in the Middle East you are. Great to see everyone’s contributions below and I’m gonna try them out!
A disaster. The pudding never jelled, but the gummy mastic instantly clung to the inside of my kettle as soon as I turned up the heat, and stirring only splashed it onto my cooktop, where it congealed and has been very difficult to remove. Even after cooling, the pudding never thickened. I just had to throw it all out. Or POUR it all out, actually, down the drain of my kitchen sink. It took me more time to clean out my pots and clean up my kitchen than it did too make the recipe. NEVER AGAIN!
Anyone know how to use a saffron/ gum mastic jam I bought I picked up in Turkey last year? It’s a gorgeous yellow color, very stiff, and sticky. Thx
I've had a desert made with mastic and it was not for me: can't stand the taste. However I have been wanting to make this milk desert since eating it years ago at a Azmi's place in the Village. What else, besides rose water can I use for flavor and how much?
Advertisement