With the sweet tooth running pretty strong in the family genes, the question “what’s for dessert?” comes first, even before the table is laid. When the baking comes to a lull, the ever ready alternative comes as long as milk is plenty and available. From the Spanish Arroz Con Leche to the Muhalabieh of the Middle East or malabi (Israeli milk pudding), French Teurgoule, British Blancmange to the Indian Kheer or Persian Firni, there are countless variations and possibilities to the regular recipes of milk based puddings and desserts. Interestingly each dish in this vast list has their own history and legend behind them.
Milk. Rice flour ( of recent cornstarch). Sugar. Rosewater. Vanilla extract. Chopped nuts.
With legendary origins dating to Sassanid Persia (224-651), the milk based pudding Mhallabiyeh ( or Muhalabieh in Middle East, Israeli malabi) has been often made with the basic ingredients of rice, sugar, rice flour and milk. Although in the Middle Ages, muhallebi and blancmange (European counterpart) were made with shredded chicken.
As the legend goes, Muhallebi was first served by a Persian cook (late seventh century) to an Arab general, Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra who had liked the dish and named it after him. Thereby this dish had entered the Arab cuisine. The initial recipes (10th century) were based on three versions of the basic dish: milk thickened with ground rice, milk with rice grains and chicken and an egg custard (without rice). Records from two 13th-century Arab cookbooks (one by al-Baghdadi, another from Andalusia) have recipes of a spiced pudding variation made with mutton instead of chicken. The Ottoman Empire has written records of two versions of muhallebi: a version with shredded chicken (tavuk gögsü) served during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror and a later recipe(1530) for a meatless version flavored with rose water. Later records give a recipe for muhallebi named as “Ramazan cakes” (19th century English cookbook). This recipe records of boiling milk together with rice flour and sugar until the mixture reduces followed by which the pudding is then flavored with rose or jasmine extract and allowed to cool before it is sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Modern variations of the initial recipe has been seen in the substitution of the rice flour (or addition at times) by cornstarch or wheat starch depending on the thickness, consistency and creaminess required. The Israeli “malabi” is made from cream and milk cooked with corn starch and rose syrup, the latter being used primarily for flavouring. It is often topped with chopped pistachios, desiccated coconut, almond slivers as well as orange water flavorings. On the other hand, the Cyprian mahalebi (or mahalepi or muhallebi) is devoid of milk. Instead it is made from water, sugar, nisete flour ( or cornstarch/corn flour), rose water and when it is set, they add. When the muhallebi is set the Cypriots add rose called triantafyllo (rose squash /cordia/syrup) on top of it.
While making Muhallebi at home, various alternatives and add-ons to the classical recipe may be tried. More elaborate concoctions can be tried, like layering this pudding on a biscuit base for a chewy feel to balance out the sweet milky taste; or modify it as a drink based dessert. No matter what, with the sweetness of the milk (cream added as per preference) to balance out the taste of cereal and additional flavourings with various toppings and garnishes, this dessert will be a well loved addition to the list of no bake desserts.
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 
