How to Make Lebanese Rice Pudding

The tantalizing foods and spices of Lebanon are delicious and often easy to incorporate into any meal. Lebanese rice pudding, made from pounded rice grains, is a smooth and sweet side dish that can be eaten for breakfast, or spruced up and served as a dessert. Learn how to make Lebanese rice pudding to add an exotic element to your favorite meal.

Things You'll Need

• 2 qts. milk
• 1/2 cup pounded rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp. maez zahr
• Chopped almonds (optional)

Instructions

1. Pour the milk into a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Mix the pounded rice with water while you are waiting for the milk to boil. Pounded rice can be found throughout Lebanon as it is a staple ingredient in various Lebanese dishes. Alternatively, you may find the product at a local Lebanese or ethnic grocery store. If such stores cannot be found near you, you may make your own pounded rice using white rice and a blender.

3. Pour the rice and water mixture into the boiling milk. Stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning. Once the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, pour in the white sugar. You may wish to pour the sugar in small batches to prevent lumps.

4. Stir until the pudding is thick enough to cling to the spoon. Mix in the maez zahr, which is a Lebanese flavoring syrup made from orange blossoms. Scoop the pudding into your bowls and serve hot. You may wish to sprinkle chopped almonds on top of the hot pudding as a decorative touch and add a new texture to the dish.

Tips & Warnings

• Serve the pudding hot, and reheat after refrigerating if you have leftovers.

References

• Lebanese Cuisine: More than 250 Authentic Recipes; Anissa Helou; 1998
• Lebanese Cuisine: Simple, Delicious Recipes; Madelain Frah; 2001

Resources

• The Lebanese American Association of America