Egyptian · Desserts

Roz bel Laban

Rice pudding cooked on the hob until it thickens by itself, with no eggs and no oven. Served cold in glasses with cinnamon and nuts.

55 min prep and cooking plus 2 hr chilling 2 hr 55 min start to finish Serves 6 servings Easy
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AI-generated illustration of Roz bel Laban

Image note: Illustration, generated by AI · not a photograph of this dish

Storing and Planning Ahead

Refrigerated for 4 days, covered. Loosen with a splash of milk. Do not freeze.

Roz bel Laban: The Method

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  1. Rinse the rice once only — you want to keep most of the surface starch.

  2. Simmer it in the 350 ml water for 12 minutes, until the water is almost gone and the grains are swollen but still firm. Do not drain.

  3. Add 900 ml of the milk, the sugar and the salt, and bring to a bare simmer.

  4. Cook uncovered 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the base, until the grains are completely soft and the milk has thickened.

  5. Whisk the cornflour into the remaining 100 ml cold milk and stir it in. Cook 3 minutes more, stirring, until it visibly thickens.

  6. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla and rose water. It will thicken a great deal more as it cools.

  7. Pour into glasses, cool, then chill at least 120 minutes. Serve cold with cinnamon, pistachios and raisins.

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Worth Knowing

  • Boil in water first, then finish in milk. It stops the milk catching.
  • Short-grain rice only.
  • It thickens hugely as it cools — take it off looser than you want it.

Why the Method Is What It Is

The rice is boiled in water first and only then finished in the milk, which is what stops the milk catching and scorching over the forty minutes the grain needs. It also lets the starch out into the water where it can be kept — that starchy liquid goes into the pan with the milk and is the only thickener in the recipe. Short-grain rice is essential; long-grain simply does not release enough starch and the result stays thin however long it cooks.

Good Alongside

Turkish coffee · Karkade · Fresh dates

Roz bel Laban FAQ

How long does Roz bel Laban take to make?

10 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours of chilling, so allow 2 hours 55 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

353Calories
9gProtein
59gCarbs
9gFat
1gFibre
36gSugar
170mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .