Mahalabia (Milk Pudding) with Rhubarb

Mahalabia, also known as muhallebi or malabi, is the mother of puddings. This treat from the Middle Ages is estimated to have originated around 600 A.D. in Persia. It’s made from 3 simple ingredients you likely already have: milk, sugar, and cornstarch.

Nearly all of the dessert puddings we recognize around the world today originate from mahalabia. Descendants in the family tree of pudding include: Italian budino, Filipino maja blanca, French blancmange, Hawaiian haupia, and many more.

Name Origin

If you could name a dish after yourself, what would it be?

The Arab name for this dish is a testament to just how delicious it is. Around 600 A.D., a cook presented this milk pudding to an Arab general named Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra. The general enjoyed it so much that he named it after himself.

3 Key Ingredients

Some early versions of mahalabia call for chicken breast or eggs to thicken the pudding. This version uses cornstarch or rice starch to set the pudding.

• Milk: Responsible for texture, mouthfeel, and flavor. Using a milk with higher fat content or replacing some milk for cream results in a thick, custard-like texture. Milk with less fat content will result in a smoother, looser pudding.
  • Non-dairy milk can be substituted for a dairy-free and vegan version of this recipe. Coconut milk and almond milk worked well for me.
• Sugar: Responsible for sweetening the pudding. Since this recipe relies on milk and starch for texture, feel free to adjust the sugar levels (this doesn’t tend to work as well in baking recipes).
• Cornstarch: Responsible for holding it all together. Cornstarch absorbs the milk to form a gel-like texture that sets into shape as it cools. Cornstarch is easily accessible, though rice starch may also be used as a substitute.

Not-so-key Ingredients

• Rhubarb: A non-traditional addition. The tart and bright flavor goes well with the creamy milk pudding.

Fair warning: my take on an ages old recipe is still far from traditional. Common flavors for mahalabia include rose, orange blossom, and nuts.

That said, I opted for rhubarb’s tart flavor since I did not want this to be overly sweet. I did not call this rhubarb pudding, since I’ve since learned that is its own traditional Finnish recipe made without dairy. Both fresh and frozen rhubarb work well in this recipe.

Looking for More Puddings?

The word “pudding” can mean vastly different dishes around the world. Check out a couple of my other pudding recipes that branch off from mahalabia:

• Fishy Toffee Pudding (UK)
• Cantonese Milk Skin Pudding (China)