Receta Ashtalieh | Lebanese Pudding
I am a die hard fan of any milk based sweet. From Paal Khova to Panna Cotta, everything is my favourite. Today's recipe is a simple decadent sweet from Lebanon. Though it is simple in making, it is definitely not easy on the waists. It is loaded with cream and cream cheese. It is a Cream pudding flavoured with Orange blossom water and Kater (Lemony sugar syrup). Delicious! It is also known as the Lebanese Pannacotta!
When it comes to desserts and Sweets, the Arabic and the Mediterranean cuisine surpasses every other cuisine in the World. May be I am biased, mainly because it is more close to the Indian sweet palette and also since they have more depth and richness in their flavour and texture. Mastic, a Greek edible gum variety is very commonly used in these regions. Apart from adding the rubbery texture, it also has pine and licorice mix flavour to it. It has a very unique flavour and it is used in making Ice cream - Éma, Jams and Preserves, Mehalabia (Milk Pudding) and even in Egyptian Savoury dishes. I read that only Egyptians use Mastica in their savoury dishes as well.
This dessert is a wonderful way to use Gondh. Even though it didn't get the authentic flavour which Mastica could have imparted, this is a close replica that I could make. So, I would not call this authentic Ashtalieh but Almost-Ashtalieh!
Ashtalieh | Lebanese Pudding Sinfully rich, Lebanese Cream Pudding Prep Time: | Cook Time: | Total Time: | Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 3.5 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Cream
4 Tbsp Corn starch
2-3 tsp powdered Gondh | Edible gum (1)
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Orange Blossom water
1 tsp Rose water (optional)
85 gms Cream cheese (1)
1/4 Cup crushed pine nuts and Pistachios
Kater | Qatar | Sugar Syrup
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Sugar
1 Star anise
1/2" Cinnamon stick
Instructions Add milk, cream, corn starch and Edible gum in a saucepan. Mix them well. Heat this on a medium flame and keep stirring it frequently so as to avoid lumps.
After about 12 minutes when the mixture starts to thicken, add the orange blossom water and Rose water. Stir it and keep it on the flame until the consistency is of a ribbon flow.
Turn off the flame, cool and then transfer it to bowl or to an individual serving bowl and refrigerate it for a minimum of 3 hours. Then serve it chilled.
Kater | Qatar | Sugar Syrup
Simultaneously in another saucepan, add, sugar, water, star anise and cinnamon and lime juice. Bring to boil the sugar syrup and reduce it to a medium flame. Keep it on the stove until the sugar mixture thickens.
Serving
While serving, top it off with crushed nuts and Kater.
Notes
The original recipe calls for Mastic, an edible gum variety used in the Greek Cuisine. You can substitute this with Gondh. Please use Mastica, if you can get it.
This recipe can be made without Cream cheese. I am not sure which is the authentic way but it should definitely have cream in it as it is a Cream Pudding.
Additionally, you can also serve this with any fruit compote to give it a variation.
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