Malabi

Name: Malabi
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Ingredients: 750 ml milk; 60 g cornstarch; 70 g sugar; 1 tbsp rose water; 50 g sugar; 60 ml water; 1 tsp rose water; 25 g pistachios, chopped; 10 g desiccated coconut, lightly toasted (optional) (optional)

Vegetarian

מלבי · malabi

A silky milk pudding set with cornflour, scented with rose water and served chilled under a rosy syrup, chopped pistachios and coconut.

Malabi is an Israeli dessert, ready in about 4 hours 20 minutes and made with milk, cornstarch and rose water. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

A serving of Muhallebi — Representative photo. Jktab / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 15 min
Rest: 4 h
Total: 4 h 20 min
Serves: 6
Level: Beginner
Calories: 217

Ingredients

6 servings

750 ml Milk (opens in a new tab)Contains milk
60 g Cornstarch (opens in a new tab)
70 g Sugar (opens in a new tab)
1 tbsp (15 g) Rose water (opens in a new tab)Swap: Orange blossom water

Syrup

50 g Sugar (opens in a new tab)
60 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
1 tsp (5 g) Rose water (opens in a new tab)

To serve

25 g Pistachios (opens in a new tab), choppedContains tree nuts
10 g Desiccated coconut (opens in a new tab), lightly toasted (optional) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Whisk (opens in a new tab) the cornflour (opens in a new tab) into 150 ml of the cold milk (opens in a new tab) until smooth. Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar (opens in a new tab) until steaming.
- 5 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
- Whisk (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels
2
Step 2
Whisk (opens in a new tab) the cornflour (opens in a new tab) mixture into the hot milk (opens in a new tab) and cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles, then cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the rose water (opens in a new tab).
- 7 min
- medium-low heat
3
Step 3
Pour into 6 glasses or bowls, cool, then cover and chill until set.
- 2 min
4
Step 4
Simmer the syrup sugar (opens in a new tab) and water for 3 minutes, add the rose water (opens in a new tab) and cool. Spoon over the puddings and top with pistachios (opens in a new tab) and coconut.
- 4 min
- medium heat

About this dish

Origin: Not attributed to one place · Commonly attributedMilk puddings of this kind (muhallebi, mahalabia) are eaten throughout the former Ottoman world; malabi is the name used in Israel.Also popular in Israel, Türkiye, Lebanon, Egypt
Dish: Dessert · Desserts
Cooking method: Simmered
Taste: sweet, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced, mild
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with: Milk · Cornstarch · Rose water · Sugar · Pistachios
Techniques: Simmering

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom milk
Contains: Tree nutsfrom pistachios

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

217 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 176 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 9%
Carbohydrate 66%
Fat 25%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	217 kcal	123 kcal
Protein	4.9 g	2.8 g
Carbohydrate	36.4 g	20.7 g
Net carbohydrate	35.9 g	20.4 g
Sugars	26.8 g	15.2 g
Added sugars	20 g	11.4 g
Fibre	0.5 g	0.3 g
Fat	6.1 g	3.4 g
Saturated fat	2.6 g	1.5 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	13 mg	7 mg
Sodium	57 mg	32 mg
Salt equivalent	0.1 g	0.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 213 mg
Calcium: 152 mg
Iron: 0.3 mg
Magnesium: 18 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 60 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 1.7 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.6 µg
Folate (DFE): 9 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: desiccated coconut.
Rose water: Water (FDC 174158); rose water is a distillate with negligible nutrients.
Rose water: Water (FDC 174158); rose water is a distillate with negligible nutrients.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

A few drops of red food colouring or a little raspberry juice give the syrup its traditional pink colour.

Common mistakes

Stopping as soon as it thickens — cook a little longer or the starch tastes raw.

Storage

Keeps 3 days covered in the fridge; add syrup and toppings just before serving.

Variations

Coconut-milk malabi: Made with coconut milk for a dairy-free pudding.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Milk750 ml · 773 g

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

Baklava (pistachio)
Turkish · 5 h 30 min · 217 kcal · Vegetarian
Limonana
Israeli · 10 min · 99 kcal · Vegan
Firni
Afghan · 3 h 20 min · 225 kcal · Vegetarian
Chocolate éclairs
French · 3 h 30 min · 342 kcal · Contains egg