Is Mahalabia the EASIEST pudding ever?

[@MiddleEats]

The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/middleeats08211

[@elhombredeoro955]

Hello, mahalabia looks very tempting, but I have a question. Can I make this recipe with buffalo milk? Since that's what is available at my home and do I need to adjust the proportion if I am using the buffalo milk? I wouldn't have asked this question anywhere else, but since you are from Egypt and are familiar with buffaloes that's why I dared asking. Thank you.

[@bobby_greene]

@@elhombredeoro955 buffalo milk has a lot more fat, use less cream if you are using that

[@BigboiiTone]

Is it still there

[@RainbowTurd]

If you mix the cornstarch with just a small amount of liquid, it is much easier to combine without clumps

[@DanceCat7]

I do that too - I put both in a small jar, cap it and shake shake shake! Mixes easy :)

[@MiddleEats]

I find it sticks to the vessel if there isn't much liquid? Not sure what I am doing wrong

[@RainbowTurd]

@@MiddleEats use a bit more liquid :)

[@avetruetocaesar3463]

That and you ought to strain your custard for finer texture. Egg yolk and starches are notorious for clumping.

[@jessl1934]

@@MiddleEats Note that you can "rinse" the cornstarch from the vessel with some of the milk that would normally go directly into the pot

[@Carloshache]

This is one of these dishes with an amazing and long history and rich heritage which has influenced food culture immensely. In Medieval times this was called Muhallebi and was made of boiled pulled meat (I'm not kidding!) which was pounded and cooked thoroughly with sugar, rice starch and ground almonds into a smooth white pudding. Originally it was developed by Persian chefs, and some early Arab recipes are from the 10th century used mutton meat but generally it was made with chicken. Sometime it was developed either into a meatless milk based custard-like pudding. The Turkish pudding "tavuk göğsü" (literally "chicken breast") is basically the version made with chicken that has survived to this day. Pretty interesting recipe if you want to try. Not that common in Turkey anymore though. The Christian Europeans also adapted the dish wholeheartedly via the spice and sugar trade, and called it "Blancmanger" or "white dish" and it was the most celebrated dish in European medieval cuisine. The Medieval Christians celebrated the white colour as it symbolized religious purity and they were totaly nuts about eastern sugar and spice at the time. It's eastern origins also reminded them of the Holy land pilgrimage. Europeans often cooked Blancmanger with lobster meat, pike or game fowl but it seems to quite quickly have delevoped into a sort of almond jelly in Europe without the meat. It the ancestor of many dishes we eat today, such as a variety of custard puddings and ice cream. But some of the surviving meat versions actually developed into spiced meat stews or meat sauces. So even Bolognese sauce or the Polish sauerkraut stew Bigos might actually be related in some way. Curiously enough.

[@bparrish517]

WOW!…and thank you for taking us on a truly unique adventure into the development of world cuisines.

[@telekhal]

Thank you, very interesting. Do you have a site that you recommend for sources?

[@pinkberolable]

Thank you for sharing this. Fascinating!

[@Carloshache]

@@telekhal I can recommend the article on "Blancmanger" in The Oxford Companion On Sugar and Sweets for a start. It has some nice info I didn't mention. Just google it. Oxford Companions are great for food history. Very well-researched.

[@chaledal-kadri9978]

@@Carloshache Merci!

[@fabe61]

Cooking tip more generally: when adding corn flour to any liquid, mix the cornflour with a small amount of water in a glass first with a fork to make a slurry. You can then pour this slurry in with far fewer lumps forming that need working out. Saves time and is super reliable.

[@aglassofpurifiedwaterlastn1513]

I actually suggest using your hands, it allows you to crush the clumps more easily, and feel for any clumps

[@Georgy_47]

I swear to god ur sent from the heavens either my mother or grandma have u the recipe or something hahahaha i wanted a channel with middle eastern food thats speak English and I followed u since the start and now i cant miss an episode because im making everything at home for my family

[@MiddleEats]

Haha thank you Georgy. I am channeling the energy of my beloved Teta. Glad I can help and thank you for the support!

[@mino_toreador]

There is a reason why egyptians don't use liquid cream that much in sweats and cooking and that is buffalo milk which is fattier than the milk you would get at the grocery store, apart from the fact that cream is expensive. also buffalo milk is often unpasteurized so once you get ahold of it you can either boil it and then it becomes safe to consume and can be kept in the fridge and or freeze it and then boil it later.

[@MiddleEats]

Yes you are absolutely correct. Buffalo milk is amazing, I just wish it was available everywhere.

[@grovermartin6874]

@@MiddleEats Yes! I would love to taste fresh buffalo milk. Sometimes we can get buffalo milk mozzarella, which I almost never succeed in getting home. I buy it, and think, "I should taste it right away to be sure it's good." Then I taste it, and the game is over. Just one more bite. Just one more bite. Then it's gone, and my eyes roll back in my head in ecstacy, and I smile for the whole day. You are very lucky to have such an amazing food!

[@zeena599]

The best flavoring to be added to mohalabiah is mistaki , that’s our favorite choice in Palestine , also orange blossom water, the two can be used together with loads of pistachio on top . The best

[@SwedisGamer00]

This looks realy good, probably going to try it. This doesn't break my stundent bank

[@TheBLGL]

As long as you don’t make the saffron one….

[@randomdogdog]

@@TheBLGL I was going to say that spices are expensive, but you only use a little... Then I started doing maths. Apparently there's just over 450 strands in a gram. So 30 strands is roughly .066 g. Locally, that's about $5

[@MiddleEats]

You could use less saffron too. It will still taste good

[@steven_003]

@@randomdogdog Depending on the spice, buying in bulk can also be cheaper, given that you actually use it a lot.

[@najatkeftaro7759]

omg ! Im so so glad you make these videos, I grew up eating these delicious foods but my family is all over seas and I’ve desperately been missing them ! Now I can make them all thank you

[@Graemyr]

Watched this video and immediately got up to make it. Too easy not to try! It's cooling in the fridge now - can't wait to taste it soon!

[@Graemyr]

Update: came out amazing!

[@hkalsa7200]

Thank you for updating! It’s so helpful to get feedback like this. I’m glad you had success 👍🏼

[@Graemyr]

@@hkalsa7200 Would strongly recommend you try to make this. It took almost no time to cook. The only hard part was waiting for it to chill!

[@MiddleEats]

Ooh thank you so much for trying it Graemyr, sorry I took so long to reply!

[@kaiapparent2653]

there’s something so comforting about cool, creamy and floral muhalabia on a hot summer day 😌 thanks for the great recipes !

[@MiddleEats]

Absolutely!

[@basicwitch5151]

My favourite is the rose water one, so refreshing. And I love how quick and easy this is to make, never fails to impress friends though 😌

[@MiddleEats]

Oh yes perfect for summer, and I don't even like rose

[@elliottgyll8453]

I literally love this channel so much. The guy, his vibe, the food, everything.

[@Pammellam]

I’ve made cornstarch pudding from childhood. Mix the sugar with the cornstarch first - then it will dissolve quickly,in the milk. This looks lovely. I’m going to try your ratios of milk to cream with your special toppings. It looks lovely!

[@MrStagnid]

These are similar to ones made in Sicily…. There is a milk one with cinnamon, lemon peel . There is also a watermelon one with jasmine, cinnamon and topped with pistachios and chocolate. Also a grape one with cloves, cinnamon & nutmeg topped with roasted almonds that my mother used to make. There is even a prickly pear one . I can tell you more if you like? Maybe you could do a video on them. Sicily is not the Middle East but has been under Arab rule, which is most likely where they got the technique for these puddings from.

[@bluebagelman1920]

I just discovered your channel and am so happy I did! I’ve made versions of this for years- just not the “authentic” recipe. I usually use 2% milk and/or almond milk (as that’s what I have) and flavor it with vanilla and almond extract, along with ground pistachios and cinnamon/cardamom. And/or lemon or orange zest. (I’m not personally a fan of orange blossom water- it can quickly taste like perfume). I haven’t tried saffron though yet.

[@llttrr]

So glad I found this channel mmmmm

[@walaa8003]

Ahhh. Muhalaby . And you nailed it Obbi 👏 . , My childhood favorite dessert. Loved eating it hot from the pot after my mum finishs pouring. Something unique about that😋.

[@MiddleEats]

Haha yeah the hot bit is extra special!

[@mohamedzulfakhar]

OMG you guys are gonna reach 100k subscribers! Really proud of you guys

[@MiddleEats]

We did it!! Thank you

[@CFC_1988]

ماشاء الله تبارك الله عملتها بشكل محترف

[@Bellasie1]

Oh these desserts are amongst my top favorite. There is also the Turkish Keşkül...

[@wartty]

Just found your channel but loving your videos !! You got such an excellent presentation style it all comes across so naturally :) been peeking into middle Eastern recipes more and more and you've given me an excellent jumping off point, keep it up man !

[@edithharmer1326]

Great Tutorial! You are excellent Tutor! Well explained, best persons to listen and learn the easier ways to follow receipts. Thank you for sharing: Greetings from Singapore! 🌷 Edith, a happy Subscriber

[@fredbrenno]

A nice tip conscerning stirring out corn starch, begin with only 1 dl, or half part of the milk first, then you mix it out in 30 seconds, then you ad the rest :-) Much easier :-)

[@edithharmer1326]

Delicious! LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE RECEIPTS FROM A GREAT TUTOR! THANK YOU FOR SHARING! EDITH, A HAPPY SUBSCRIBER FROM SINGAPORE!🌷

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you Edith

[@annatemnyy]

Dissolving the starch in liquid before adding to the rest of the ingredients works really well. But to avoid extra work when ingredients include sugar and starch, I usually mix those two together really well before adding the liquid. Makes the process much simpler:)

[@svi97]

Just a tiny suggestion- can you put the original eqyptian name of the dish in the title of the video too? Then it's easier to reference later when I'm searching for it to make it (over and over again lol)

[@ladyzioness]

Will definitely try! Almost to 100k 🥳🥳 Mr. Obbi I'm so happy for you and your wife.

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you!!

[@rawyalamei9226]

My mom's "secret" ingredient in mhalabeya is mastic. She puts so much of it and it tastes AMAZING. I even bullied my friend who hates mhalabeya into trying it and she adored it.

[@tammam8776]

Why do these look so delicious? Good job obi and salma! 🥰

[@fionarahl9399]

I love muhallabi, so simple and tasty!

[@Marcos.Poules]

This is superb quality dessert right there 😋 Big Fan of Mahalabiya Already Made a Batch yesterday with raisins Now i am gonna try the cardamom one

[@MiddleEats]

Raisins in the pudding??? That's something I could get behind!

[@mrhappyfoot]

Wonder if evapourated milk would work in place of cream? Asking as I make recipe kits for educational purposes and this is a great easy recipe for children to cook and customise.

[@tobiasmaiermaus]

why don't you dissolve the cornstarch in a little bit of milk first?

[@MiddleEats]

I find that harder honestly, it tends to sink to the bottom of the pot when i do that, weird.

[@natviolen4021]

This throws a big shade at Dr Oetker :-) I always thought that Mahalabiya was prepared with semolina whereas pudding used cornstarch. Learned something new again. Tip for dissolving cornstarch without lumps: Take some of the (cold) milk and sugar and mix with the cornstarch while the rest is heating up. Then whisk the mixture into the hot milk and voilà... And use tapioca starch in stead of cornstarch if you prepare the dessert a day or two in advance as it does not retrograde as quickly as cornstarch. And now I'm going out to buy cream to make the saffron version (with a dash of rosewater and chopped pistacios, probably...)

[@MiddleEats]

Hope yours turned out good, and thanks for the tips. I'll have to try them all out to see which is best!

[@natviolen4021]

@@MiddleEats Of course it did. You'd set the scene perfectly and I'm born in Dr Oetker land. The addition of cream made it really luxurious. I changed the ratios a bit. 400 ml milk/100ml cream/40g sugar/40g cornstarch. Will try with less cornstarch next time. 100K and counting. Congrats.

[@hkalsa7200]

Beautiful puddings! I’ll be trying these out soon 😍

[@oxana4017]

Thank you!

[@cathyggill]

Looks great, Obi!

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks

[@namingisdifficult408]

It looks really good

[@ashleya3236]

Pudding is so quick and easy for home cooks! And much easier than ice cream, no matter what ice cream makers might try to convince you of. I have always wondered if I could use a magnetic stirrer hot plate to cut down on the work even more, though...

[@BigboiiTone]

Thought this was a mispelling but I am delighted to learn there are different variations. I'm going to watch this now

[@AdachYanas]

In bahrain we use sagu pearls, faloda, short grain rice, or rice instead of the corn starch. Tastes slightly better to be honest but still the corn starch ones are good

[@Anesthesia069]

This looks simple and delicious. I might try it as a dessert fairly soon!

[@aprilpeterson9105]

I'm so glad I tried this recipe. It lives rent free in my brain to this day. Delicious 🤤

[@sarahursic1151]

Liked and subscribed and now commenting for the algorithm . I like how you explain everything even the tiniest details incase some viewers are beginners , keep up the good work . P.s if you don't want to wisk for long wisk the starch/flour powder in less milk/water first and when no lumps are left add the rest of the liquid whatever it is .

[@MiddleEats]

That's a good tip! Thank you

[@drshahfarhan4144]

Hey, love ur recipes, add ur cornstarch to water and mix till it’s a liquid before adding it to the milk, to avoid lump-Formation

[@hm6806]

Remember to cover them while they are on the fridge to avoid it from drying out if you are making a large patch

[@reformerx667]

That looks so satisfying. Thank you for sharing. Subscribed.

[@desdes5622]

These look so delicious! I can't Wai tto make it myself! :)

[@hiddens2346]

Congrats on the 100K!!

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you!

[@lauraellen189]

This pudding looks delicious! I love the recipes on your channel!! ❤

[@kaychong2872]

This looks soooo good! Did you use caster sugar?

[@MiddleEats]

I think so? It's just regular sugar.

[@lamondaforestry]

Hi, love your videos. A request if I may. Can you prepare a shakshuka?

[@MiddleEats]

Yes I can, I'll do more breakfast videos soon!

[@MzS_92]

I loved the idea of hazelnut topping, could also use it as a sambosa filling 👍

[@MiddleEats]

It's actually our filling for Qatayef, it's perfect for anything really!

[@mariamelmarashly2368]

Do u think it would work if i put espresso in? 🤔 i think i might have to put more corn starch to make up for the difference in consistency between the coffee and milk. I do not want to add espresso powder because it just does not taste the same

[@alex-7777]

Most of the fat is coming from the cream, so it should be fine. Just reduce the milk by however much espresso you add. Ex - if you start with 400 ml milk, try 350 ml milk and 50 ml espresso

[@dinaloutfy78]

That's a brilliant idea 😍

[@MiddleEats]

I have to try this. Let me know if it works.

[@jessl1934]

I don't know if anyone will believe me but you can make this in the microwave with minimal stirring and virtually zero chance of catching/burning. Just make sure that you use a large enough microwave safe dish. Once you start making flour/cornstarch based dishes in the microwave you'll be horrified at the thought of ever going back to the stove to do it.

[@SK3564]

I miss my grandma's mhallabiyye ❤

[@annakakitchen9739]

Very very easy and delicious

[@lorenebonsu146]

Loooks so tastyyy

[@Sam-mv2vf]

Please do a video making Turkish bread. Thank you

[@MyLifestyle-r5s]

Very good 👍

[@ItsMrBozToYou]

How much cardamom would you recommend? I've got whole pods, and kind of figured on a method like the saffron method for extracting the flavor.

[@treizeheures]

ohh, i have such a sweet tooth, and this looks like it’ll hit the spot perfectly. thank you!

[@itsmeowornever.8143]

Hey Obie, you think I could use coconut milk and coconut cream?

[@zovalentine7305]

Saffron 😋 😊

[@barisharslan6115]

Gotta point out that in the ratio you wrote 1/4 part cornstarch, but in the example weights, where 1 part was 100g, you used 33g cornstarch instead of 25g. My first batch came out delicious but very watery :/

[@MiddleEats]

Oh god, so sorry. The recipe is in the description box. Hopefully people see this

[@DylaniaCat]

Wow!

[@orbitboi63]

Hi. What size pot did you use? 16cm. Thanks.

[@aminaar5483]

Machallah 🥰

[@kimquinn7728]

It says online that 33g of corn starch is equal to 12 teaspoons. Is that right? Seems like more than I saw but could be perspective of video. I am doubling the recipe. So, I would be using 24.

[@MiddleEats]

Im not quite sure, 12 teaspoons seems like a lot. Maybe add half the amount at first and see if it thickens

[@dinaloutfy78]

My family's recipe was always flavored with mistika

[@MiddleEats]

Oh that's a good one to try, we considered using it, but it is a bit hard to find here in the west. This is kind of modeled on Sheikh Wafik in Alexandria!

[@dinaloutfy78]

Haha. True. The only place I was able to find mistika in the west is in Greek grocery stores. Either the real thing or in a sweetened paste form

[@natviolen4021]

@@dinaloutfy78In my area Middle Eastern shops use to have it during ramadan. I always take the opportunity to stock up. If I run out of supply during the year I use mahleb in stead.

[@dinaloutfy78]

@@natviolen4021 I'll try that. Thanks

[@grovermartin6874]

Is mistika the same as mastic?

[@lechiathompson2558]

Did I miss how much of each ingredients

[@monazaki7227]

Obi... how do we make mishmishiyya?

[@arthurvandeman]

exc. can we use gelatine instead of cornflour if not eating carbs?

[@vixlqq638]

I believe it will give a similar result.

[@thestrangegreenman]

No reason not to, but what about the sugar?

[@TheArteditors]

I have always made this using the 1/10 ratio, 100 grams liquid 10 grams corn flour, yours looks really set with less corn flour, I will give your ratio a try, no roses no saffron sorry, one is like soap and the other is betadine lol, vanilla, bitter almond or mastic sounds good choices

[@mohabali7868]

I also like Sahlab

[@TheBLGL]

Isn’t that the same as salep? In which case, I don’t know about Arabs but Turks serve it warm during the winter. I can’t remember even being able to get it in the summertime in Turkey….

[@mohabali7868]

@@TheBLGL yes it’s the same, it can be served with saffron as well like the muhalabia

[@MiddleEats]

I made Egyptian style sahleb powder last winter. Check it out!

[@mohabali7868]

@@MiddleEats yeah I just saw the video, well done !

[@zeena599]

Saffron to me smells and tastes like mold , I even could detect a hint of f Clorox !! I once sent back a dish in an Iranian restaurant in London suspecting it was contaminated with either mold or Clorex , to be explained to me that was the the highly valued saffron, not for me, thank you very much.

[@grovermartin6874]

Hahaha! That leaves more for us!

[@zeena599]

@@grovermartin6874 enjoy, by all means . By the way, years ago, I was given by a friend from Morocco ,as a special gift ,a good quantity of the finest spanish saffron in a fancy box , it is still in my kitchen cupboard , not knowing what to do with it . I tried to offer it to family and friends, they all declined. It is very popular in Saudi and the gulf states, but not in jordan and Palestine .