Egyptian rice soaked for an hour then cooked in milk dissolved with water until tender, sweetened with sugar and thickened with cornstarch and scented with orange blossom water and mastic, then poured into bowls and topped with pistachios.
Rice pudding the old-fashioned way: milk powder and water instead of liquid milk, and cornstarch to set the consistency instead of relying on the rice starch alone.
The mastic is what sets it apart from any other rice pudding, as its faint piney aroma lingers in the mouth after the last spoonful.
Wash the rice until the water runs clear then soak it in hot water for one hour; this soaking opens the grains so they cook faster in the milk and release their starch, which thickens the mixture on its own.
Dissolve the milk powder in water and add the rice to it, then place the mixture in a pot on the stove while continuing to stir until it comes to a boil; continuous stirring here is essential so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
Lower the heat and keep stirring the mixture from time to time until the rice grains are fully cooked and mash easily between the fingers, which takes about half an hour.
Add the sugar and stir well until it dissolves completely and you don't feel any granules at the bottom of the pot.
Add the cornstarch amount and lower the heat, stirring from time to time until the mixture thickens and becomes a creamy consistency that coats the spoon. It is best to dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold water before adding it so it doesn't clump in the hot milk.
Add the orange blossom water and mastic and let the mixture boil for three minutes so their aroma spreads, then pour the resulting mixture into bowls, garnish them with the pistachios and leave them to cool to room temperature.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Rice Pudding with Mastic, and how to fix them:
Stirring was interrupted during the boiling stage or the heat was too high. Stir continuously until boiling then lower the heat, and use a thick-bottomed pot.
Added dry to a hot liquid. Dissolve it in a little cold water first then pour it in a thin stream while stirring.
The cornstarch wasn't cooked enough after adding it. Cornstarch needs a brief boil to activate, and remember that the mixture thickens a lot as it cools so don't judge it while hot.
The amount was increased or it was added early so it cooked too long. Add it in the last three minutes as the source does, and start with half a spoon.
Covered in its bowls for up to three days, and cover its surface with a cling film pressed on if you don't like the dry layer.
Cold or at room temperature as the source states, and garnish with the pistachios at serving time so they stay crunchy.
For freezing: the cornstarch separates upon thawing and the consistency becomes grainy.
Sour smell or sticky surface: discard it, because milk and cornstarch are quick to spoil.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| milk powder and water | full-fat liquid milk | 960 ml | Closer to the modern method, and the consistency is slightly richer. |
| sugar | two-thirds of the amount | 67 g | A milder sweetness that shows off the orange blossom and mastic aroma more. |
| mastic | a cinnamon stick and cardamom | a stick with 3 pods | For those who can't find mastic, and the aroma becomes closer to Gulf style. |
| Aleppo pistachios | chopped almonds | 62 g | More affordable and milder in flavor, and the garnish role stays the same. |
| Servings | Rice | Water | Cornstarch | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 servings (half the amount) | 23 g | 480 ml | 22 g | 50 g |
| 5 servings (the base) | 46 g | 960 ml | 43 g | 100 g |
| 10 servings (double) | 92 g | 1920 ml | 86 g | 200 g |
Grind the mastic finely with a little sugar before adding it, because its pieces stick together when ground alone and remain as clumps in the bowl. A teaspoon is a generous amount, so anyone trying it for the first time should start with half a teaspoon because the flavor intensifies with cooling.
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