Egyptian Mahalabia Recipe (Vanilla Pudding)

1.       In your pot, away from the stove, mix together the milk, cornstarch, and sugar, and stir to dissolve.

2.       Once dissolved, place your pot on medium low heat.

3.       Constantly stir the mixture with your spatula until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. It should take only a few minutes.

4.       Once the mixture reaches a consistency where it thickly drips off the spatula, remove off the heat and stir in the vanilla essence.

5.       Pour into your individual serving bowls and set aside.

6.       Feel free to serve it right away or leave it on the counter to cool down for 30 minutes or so before moving it to the fridge.

7.       Garnish with your favorite toppings; mixed nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or some coconut flakes, right before serving to avoid the nuts going soft.

1.       For a much creamer texture, you can substitute 1 cup of milk for 1 cup of heavy cream. You can also make it dairy-free but using almond milk instead.

2.       Make sure to mix the ingredients cold and off the stove, this will make sure that ingredients are well dissolved before they’re subjected to heat, and in turn less likely to clump.

3.       It’s important to constantly stir while on the heat, to avoid any lumps and to ensure you reach the right consistency.

4.       Before storing in the fridge, cover the top of each bowl with a layer of saran wrap to avoid a thick layer of dry milk of forming up.

5.       It advisable if you are going to garnish with nuts like almonds, pistachios, cashews, etc., to garnish right before serving to avoid the nuts from going soft.