We had a family game night and I had to make a dessert as part of potluck. I wanted to make a pretty dessert, but it must taste good too.
Luckily, I came across the dessert called Rose Mehalabya/Muhallebi. Having the word Rose in the name, I knew it would be pretty dessert 😉.
And the flavor of pistacio is one of the many favorite in my family. Rose Mehalabya is a traditional Arabic style milk pudding, it’s very popular in many Middle Eastern countries. It’s simple to make and can be made with different variation of flavors.
In this recipe, the milk pudding is infused with rose water and orange blossom water, crowned with rose syrup and caramelized pistachios. It is light in flavor, not too much sugar, just enough. I layered it in small glasses, imagine the look of the colors, white milk pudding, pink rose syrup, and green pistachios. It looked Beautiful! It was a hit at the game night.
Rose Muhallebi / Mahalabia (Milk Pudding)
Ingredients
For the Muhallebi (Milk Pudding)
- 3 1/4 Cups Whole Milk
- 3/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
- 2 Tsp Rose Water
- 2 Tsp Orange Blossom Water
For the Rose Syrup Topping
- 2 Tbsp Rose Syrup
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Water
- 2 Tsp Cornstarch
For the Pistachio Topping
- 2 Tsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Unsalted Pistachios finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Orange Blossom Water
- Edible Rose Petals for decoration
Instructions
To make the Muhallebi (Milk Pudding):
- In a medium saucepan, off the heat, whisk together the milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar and cornstarch until well combined and the cornstarch has dissolved completely without any lumps.
- Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil for a about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens and large bubbles form around the surface.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the orange blossom and rose waters. Set aside for few mins to cool just a little, as it should be pouring consistency.
- Now pour it into cups and refrigerate uncovered until it has begun to set for about 20 to 30 minutes.
To make the Rose Syrup Topping:
- In a very small saucepan, off the heat, whisk together the rose syrup concentrate, water and cornstarch until well combined.
- Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and large bubbles form.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, let it cool for ~ 2-3 minutes.
- Then spoon a thin layer of the rose topping over the surface of each Muhallebi cup, cover to make an even layer.
- Refrigerate until set and cold; about 2 hours or overnight.
To make the Pistachio Topping:
- Chop Pistachio in a blender/chopper.
- In a medium skillet or a pan, over medium-high heat, melt the butter then add in the chopped pistachios.
- Sauté the pistachios in the butter, stirring frequently, until just beginning to toast.
- Add in the sugar and stir until melted and lightly caramelized around the pistachios.
- Remove from the heat, then add in the orange blossom water. Transfer to another bowl and allow to cool completely.
- Spoon the pistachio topping evenly over the cooled Muhallebi cups. Top it off with an edible rose petal.
- Serve right away or keep refrigerated.
- Enjoy the Rose Muhallebi cold or at cool room temperature.
