Spice pudding (Meghli)

This is a very traditional pudding. It is usually served when a son is born into a family or  a girl  if following many sons. Yes, I know,  coming from a society that was and to a large degree still is, unabashedly sexist. Never mind! This is an excellent and exotic dessert if you are looking to serve something different that can be prepared calmly in advance and  can be served to children because it is healthy. It contains no eggs and no cream and is thickened by rice flour. Rice flour is available in middle-eastern grocery stores and Asian stores; it  can be made at home by pulverizing medium-grain rice in a food processor until it becomes powdery;  just make sure to use starchy rice like Italian, or sushi or Turkish or Egyptian rice. I find it a lot easier to buy it ready-made in a bag; OR, if you wish to, you can buy a meghli mix at the middle-eastern grocer, in a box. The mix will have all the spices incorporated and will only require you to add water and cook the mixture.

The spices used here need to be respected if you want to recreate the traditional dessert. They consist of ground caraway, ground cinnamon and ground anise, with the caraway being the dominant spice. I heard that the spices were recommended to give to mothers after childbirth because they would make them strong!

INGREDIENTS: This quantity will yield 4 to 6 servings

• 100 g of rice flour
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 liter of water
• SPICES:  5 grams of ground cinnamon, 5 grams of ground anise, 10 grams of ground caraway
• Garnishes: Some shredded coconut;  some pine nuts, some walnuts, some pistachios ( soaked in water for a couple of hours and peeled)

METHOD:

1. While I was preparing the meghli, Mrs. Rebeiz, a longtime friend of my mother’s, stopped by to pay her a visit. She is a fantastic cook of traditional Lebanese cuisine; she gave me this tip: Soaking the rice flour in water in the morning before cooking the meghli will allow the rice particles to swell up and will help make a smoother pudding and reduce the risk of lumps. OK, great idea! Soak the rice in 1/2 liter of water for 2 or 3 hours before starting the pudding.
2. Soak the nuts in water and a bit of orange blossom water (thank you Leyla!)
3. Mix the sugar and spices in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Boil the one liter of  water in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Mix the rice and 1/2 liter of water mixture with a wire whisk and add to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium and stirring constantly, gradually add the sugar and spices.
5. Keep stirring until the rice mixture thickens, about 45 minutes to one hour.
6. Pour into a large serving platter or individual bowls to cool.
7. Garnish with some shredded coconut and a medley of nuts.

NOTE:

Some people like to use a pressure cooker to make meghli. Personally I think the long stirring is part of the fun! But if you are pressed for time, then by all means use the pressure cooker.

The word meghli means “boiled”; so I figured because you are boiling the pudding for a long time, the name is fitting!

It is now served at all celebrations and holidays. It is especially served at Christmas in Christian communities because it celebrates the birth of Christ.