Lebanese Rice Pudding (Riz bi Haleeb)
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Cook Time25 mins.
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Serving5
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Ready In25 mins.
Riz bi Haleeb, which is Arabic for “rice pudding,” is similar to a traditional rice pudding, but with a delicious Lebanese spin on the recipe.
This rice pudding is flavored with orange blossom water and rose water, giving it wonderful sweet flavor and aromatic hints of floral. This is a very simple recipe to make, using only a handful of ingredients, but the end result is an impactful dessert.
Rice Pudding, Dessert or Breakfast?
Rice pudding is a comfort food enjoyed all over the world. The creamy rice and milk combination is just so irresistible. This Lebanese rice pudding can be eaten for breakfast or enjoyed as a dessert.
The rice makes this dish filling enough for breakfast while the sweet floral flavor of the Middle-eastern flair of rose water and orange blossom water, making it a perfect dessert as well.
There are many ways to make Riz bi haleeb. I like to half cook the rice in a little bit of water before adding the milk to finish cooking in. Some choose to cook the rice in the milk from the very beginning. I do not wash the rice before cooking it as I want all those starches to make the rice pudding extra creamy.
This recipe is very versatile. Feel free to change it up as you like. If you do not want the Riz bi haleeb too sweet, you can very easily just lessen the amount of sugar.
The same goes for the rose water and orange blossom flavoring. If you feel that it is too potent, feel free to add less or more depending on your liking. You can also use only one or the other if you don’t have both on hand.
This recipe makes five small bowls (servings), but can easily be doubled or even tripled. However, if you do double or triple the recipe, keep in mind that it will need more cooking time for the rice to fully cook and soften.
STEP 1
In a medium sized pot, cook the unwashed rice with one cup of water over medium-low heat until all the water is gone.
This will take about 5 – 7 minutes.
STEP 2
Add the milk (reserve ¼ cup on the side) and sugar to the pot and mix well.
Keep cooking over medium-low for an additional 15 minutes until the rice has cooked through and softened. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
STEP 3
Add the cornstarch to the ¼ cup of milk reserved on the side and mix to combine.
Add in the cornstarch slurry and keep stirring until thickened, about 5 more minutes.
STEP 4
Add the rose water and orange blossom water and mix well to combine.
Transfer to five small bowls. Let the bowls cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
STEP 5
Eat as is, or add your favorite toppings like crushed pistachios or shredded coconut.
Lebanese Rice Pudding (Riz bi Haleeb)
Ingredients
- ½ cup Short Grain Rice (Jasmine Rice)
- 1 cup Water
- 5 cups Milk (Whole, Low Fat, or Plant-Based)
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- 3 tb. Cornstarch
- 2 tb. Rose Water
- 2 tb. Orange Blossom Water
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, cook the unwashed rice with one cup of water over medium-low heat until all the water is gone. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the milk (reserve ¼ cup on the side) and sugar to the pot and mix well. Keep cooking over medium-low for an additional 15 minutes until the rice has cooked through and softened. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
- Add the cornstarch to the ¼ cup of milk reserved on the side and mix to combine. Add in the cornstarch slurry and keep stirring until thickened, about 5 more minutes.
- Add the rose water and orange blossom water and mix well to combine. Transfer to five small bowls. Let cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
- Eat as is, or add your favorite toppings like crushed pistachios or shredded coconut.
Nutrition
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