Arabic recipesSweets
Meghli (Karawya): Lebanese & Syrian Spiced Caraway Rice Pudding
Meghli - also called karawya in Syria - is a dairy-free Levantine rice-flour pudding slow-simmered with ground caraway, cinnamon and anise until glossy and mahogany-brown. Celebrated for welcoming a newborn and warming winter nights, each bowl is crowned with coconut and plump water-soaked nuts.
Also known as:Lebanese newborn celebration pudding (Meghli / Moghli)Syrian karawya caraway-cinnamon puddingDairy-free Levantine spiced rice pudding with nuts
Servings6
Prep time15 min
Cook time25 min
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 1 pack (200 g) ready Meghli spiced pudding mix (or 130 g fine rice flour, 2 tbsp ground caraway, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground anise, 130 g sugar)
- 1 litre cold water
- 3 tbsp desiccated coconut for topping
- 50 g blanched almonds, 50 g walnut halves, 30 g pine nuts and 30 g shelled pistachios (soaked separately in cold water for 1 hour, drained)
Preparation Steps
- 1Soak the blanched almonds, walnuts, pine nuts and pistachios in separate bowls of cold water for 1 hour, then drain well so every nut turns plump and crisp.
- 2Whisk the meghli mix (or rice flour, spices and sugar) thoroughly into the cold water in a heavy saucepan off the heat until completely smooth.
- 3Set over medium heat and stir continuously in slow figure-eights until the mixture comes to a gentle bubble and begins to thicken.
- 4Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring from the base so nothing catches, until velvety, dark brown and free of any raw flour taste.
- 5Ladle into serving bowls, chill thoroughly and pile on snow-white coconut and the drained soaked nuts right before serving.
