Malabi (Dairy-Free Pudding)
Creamy and dairy free, this Malabi pudding is a refreshing Middle Eastern dessert topped with your choice of jam and garnishes. Recipe variations included.
Servings: 4
Calories: 171kcal
Ingredients
For the pudding
- 3 ½ cups unsweetened plain almond milk divided (I used Silk brand)
- ⅓ cup cornstarch spooned and leveled (40 grams)
- 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons rose water
For the syrup topping
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam or another flavor like apricot, strawberry, or mixed berry(70 grams) (I used Smucker's Seedless Red Raspberry Jam)
- ½ teaspoon rose water
Optional and can be personalized
- Pomegranate arils + mint sprig for red jam topping
- Chopped pistachios and coconut flakes for orange jam topping
Instructions
For the pudding
- Whisk together ½ cup almond milk with cornstarch until dissolved. Set aside.
- Combine and simmer: Add 3 cups almond milk, sugar, cardamom and salt to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk to combine, and then bring to a simmer while whisking often, up to 5 minutes. Mixture may become frothy and foamy; make sure it doesn’t boil over.
- Add cornstarch and cook: Turn the heat to medium-low. Quickly re-whisk the cornstarch mixture, and slowly pour it into the hot milk mixture on the stove as you whisk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes, while continuing to whisk frequently to prevent burning. Mixture will thicken and is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Add rose water: Remove pot from the stove, and whisk in the rose water.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any small pieces.
- Spoon about ¾ cup of pudding into each of 4 serving glasses (7 to 8 ounces each). I used these glass dessert cups.
- Cover the pudding: Place plastic wrap inside the glasses, touching and covering the surface of the pudding to prevent a thick skin from forming.
- Cool: Allow the puddings to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, before placing them into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set and firm up.
For the syrup topping
- Heat: Place water, sugar, and jam in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking often to break apart clumps of jam. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the rose water off the heat and mix.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve/strainer and into a small bowl. Leave behind any fruit chunks from the jam. Syrup should be pourable.
- Let cool completely at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Assembly
- Assemble and serve: Add topping and garnish just before serving. Remove plastic wrap, and spoon 1-½ tablespoons of the fruit syrup on top of each pudding creating a colorful layer. Garnish as you prefer. I used pomegranate seeds with mint, and pistachios with coconut flakes. Serve cold.
Notes
- The pudding and syrup can be made up to 3 days ahead: refrigerated, covered, and stored separately.
- Do not freeze.
- During Passover, substitute the cornstarch with potato starch.
- If the pudding boils, lower the heat or remove it from the heat until the bubbling stops.
- Add the jam syrup to the pudding right before serving to prevent it from seeping and sinking to the bottom.
- Serve in a 7-8 oz glass cup or bowl to highlight layers. I like these dessert cups, or mason jars or martini glasses work nicely as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 267mg | Iron: 0.2mg