Malabi is a very traditional Arabic dish found across the middle east, traditionally made with milk and double cream, and then thickened with cornstarch. Eyal takes you through the ingredients for his version based on Chef Tomer's recipe which uses coconut cream as a lighter, plant-based alternative making this the ideal dessert after a big meal. Rather than the bright red, more artificial syrups you might find traditionally on malabis, this version uses strawberries cooked down with sugar for a fresher syrup. Eyal also talks through the spices he uses to flavour the malabi and how the special ingredient, rose water, is made.
Rose water - rose water is popular throughout the Levant, North Africa, Persia and India and is made by soaking the rose petals in water and extracting the essence through steam distillation. Rose features in Jewish communities all over and is used for Jewish holidays like Shavuot where the flower is not just used for decorations but also in the food and for many Persian Jews a dish of shredded apples in a rosewater syrup is a popular way of breaking fast. Malabi itself has found its way back in the limelight, going from grandmother's recipe to finding its way into food carts, street food stands and chic restaurants across Israel.
Pistachio nuts - The pistachio is a small tree which belongs to the same family as the mango. It was able to grow wild in the harsh, dry climates of the deserts of ancient Persia and have been eaten as early as Biblical times. Legend has it the Queen of Sheba declared pistachios to only be enjoyed by royalty and even went so far as to making it illegal for non-royalty to grow pistachio trees. Nowadays though, they can be found across the middle east used for crunch in salads or sweet desserts.
Ingredients You Need
Malabi
Syrup
Nut Crumb
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