Mahalabia Milk Pudding with Pistachios
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking.
A smooth, delicately scented milk pudding set in moulds, turned out and topped with chopped pistachios.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Heat. warm two-thirds of the milk with the sugar and mastic over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- 2
Slurry. whisk the cornflour into the remaining cold milk until no lumps remain. Cold milk stops the cornflour forming lumps.
- 3
Thicken. pour the slurry slowly into the pan, stirring constantly with the spoon and scraping the base, and cook 6-8 min until it boils and turns thick and glossy. The cornflour needs to boil to thicken fully.
- 4
Mould. pour at once into the wet moulds, cool 1 h, then cover and chill at least 3 h until firm. Wet moulds help the pudding slip out.
- 5
Turn out. loosen the edges with a knife, invert onto plates and top with a mound of chopped pistachios.

Common mistake
A common mistake is stopping before it boils; the pudding will not set firmly enough to turn out.
More from the cat
- Mastic gives a gentle pine flavour; leave it out if you cannot find it.
- For a softer pudding, set it in glasses and do not turn it out.
Storage
Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add the pistachios just before serving.
Equipment
- medium heavy saucepan
- small bowl
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- 6 x 150 ml moulds or small bowls, rinsed with cold water
- cling film
- serving plates
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 226 kcal |
| Protein | 4.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 39.4 g |
| of which sugars | 26.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 20 g |
| Fat | 5.7 g |
| of which saturates | 2.6 g |
| Fibre | 0.5 g |
| Salt | 0.14 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
