Malabi Rose Water Milk Pudding

By
Miri Rotkovitz
Miri Rotkovitz
Miri Rotkovitz
Registered dietician, teacher, and award-winning cookbook author who has been exploring Jewish cuisine for almost 20 years.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/19/23
Malabi rosewater milk pudding recipe

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Chill Time: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
139 Calories
4g Fat
22g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 139
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 55mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 139mg 11%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 163mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The iconic Israeli dessert, known as malabi, has its roots in centuries-old recipes for puddings made of rice flour and almond or cow's milk - which can be found throughout the Middle East, Turkey, and Mediterranean Europe. A close cousin of muhallabia, as the spoon sweet is known in the Arab world, today's Israeli malabi is often made with cornstarch instead of rice flour. Silky textured and light, the flower-scented pudding is topped with sweet syrup and nuts or shredded coconut.

Not only is malabi a perfect fit for Middle Eastern menus, but its flavors are a natural complement to Indian cuisine as well. Plus, the recipe is gluten- and egg-free, and can be made with dairy milk substitutes like soy, coconut, or almond milk, so it's easily adapted to special dietary needs. 

Ingredients

For the Pudding:

  • 3 cups whole milk (2% milk is also fine), divided

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon rose water

  • 1/3 cup sugar

For the Raspberry Rose Syrup (Optional):

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

  • 1 teaspoon rose water

  • Slivered almonds, chopped pistachios or walnuts, shredded coconut, optional garnishes

Steps to Make It

Make the Pudding

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for malabi rosewater milk pudding
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the milk with the cornstarch and rose water. Mix well with a fork or clean fingers, until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. (The cornstarch may be hard to stir at first, but will loosen as you mix.) Set aside.

    Combine milk and cornstarch
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 2 1/2 cups of milk with the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves.

    Add sugar
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

  4. When bubbles begin to break the surface, reduce the heat to low. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir, and add it to the simmering milk, stirring constantly. 

    Whisk milk
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Cook the pudding at a gentle simmer, stirring very frequently, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. (If you're not stirring constantly, try not to scrape the bottom of the pan, or you may end up with lumps in your pudding.)

    Cook pudding and stir
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

  6. Pour or spoon the malabi into 6 to 8 serving dishes. Allow to cool slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (the pudding will firm up as it cools). 

    Spoon malabi into dishes
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

Make the Raspberry Rose Syrup

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for rosewater syrup
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. While the pudding chills, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and jam. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and incorporate the jam.

    Whisk syrup
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

  3. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat, and stir in the rose water. Transfer to a dish and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

    Spoon syrup
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

  4. To serve the malabi, spoon a little syrup over the top, and garnish with slivered or chopped nuts or coconut if desired. 

    Chopped nuts on malabi
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

Recipe Variations

  • Though cornstarch-based malabi is most popular today, the original recipe used rice flour. You can substitute packaged rice flour, or make your own by grinding white rice in a food processor. The resulting pudding won't be as silky or light as cornstarch malabi, but some prefer the flavor and texture of the rice-based version. 
  • To make malabi dairy-free, simply substitute a dairy-free milk alternative. Almond milk—especially homemade—is a very traditional option, though modern cooks may opt for soy or even coconut milk. 
  • Rose water isn't the only flavoring option; orange flower water is also lovely. 
  • In Persian Jewish cuisine, cardamom is a common addition to malabi-style pudding. A little ground cardamom goes a long way, so start with a pinch, and adjust to taste. Or, add a few cardamom pods to the milk to infuse the pudding with flavor as it simmers.
  • Instead of raspberry rose syrup, try a drizzle of silan, aka date honey, and chopped pistachios or almonds. 
  • Or, make the malabi with orange flower water, and top with good-quality orange marmalade and chopped crystallized ginger.
  • For a sweet-tart dessert, top with a swirl of pomegranate molasses and some pomegranate arils (seeds).