Roz bi laban
رز بلبن
Egyptian rice pudding — milk, rice, a little mastic or vanilla, served warm or cold. Not a British nursery bowl.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: رز بلبن.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Roz bi laban is Egyptian rice pudding: short rice simmered in milk until creamy, sweetened, often finished with vanilla, orange-blossom or mastic, and a dust of cinnamon or toasted nuts. It is a street cup and a home pot. This version is stovetop and patient. It should be spoonable, not a slice. Simmer short-grain rice in milk, stirring so it does not catch, until the grains swell and the pot turns creamy. Sweeten toward the end. Vanilla, orange-blossom water or a piece of mastic are the Egyptian notes; cinnamon or toasted nuts go on top. It should be spoonable, not a slice and not a rice pudding brick. Cool it in cups if you want the street version. A skin on top is optional and argued about.
Ingredients
- Rice, short-grain, rinsed100 g
- Milk1 l
- Sugar80 g
- Vanilla4.9 ml
- Orange-blossom water (optional)2½ ml
- Cinnamon2½ ml
- Pistachios (optional)20 g
- Salt1 pinch
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Simmer rice in half the milk, stirring, until the grains swell, 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2
Add remaining milk, sugar and salt. Cook low, stirring often, until creamy, 20 minutes. Vanilla and blossom.
22 minStep 3
Cups. Cinnamon, pistachios. Warm or cold. It thickens as it sits.
3 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Orange-blossom → A strip of orange zest
Still perfumed.
Tips
- A spoon of cornflour mixed with cold milk at the end is a street-stall insurance policy.
- Do not walk away. Milk scorch is a whole new dessert, and a bad one.
History & culture
A Cairo street dessert and a fridge leftover. Every aunt has a sweetness setting. A Cairo street dessert and a fridge leftover. Every aunt has a sweetness setting. It is a cup you buy and a pot you make. Kids want more sugar. Blossom water should be a hint. Eat it cold or warm; both happen.
Milk-and-rice puddings sit across the Mediterranean. The blossom-water and mastic notes are the Egyptian ones. Milk-and-rice puddings sit across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Blossom water and mastic are the Egyptian perfume on this one. You are cooking rice in milk until it is a spoon dessert. That is roz bi laban. Condensed milk is a later shortcut some houses use. Name it if you do.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Roz bi laban take?
45 min all in — 5 min prep, 40 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 cups. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
How much sugar?
80 g of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Orange-blossom → A strip of orange zest. Still perfumed.
Any tips from this recipe?
A spoon of cornflour mixed with cold milk at the end is a street-stall insurance policy. Do not walk away. Milk scorch is a whole new dessert, and a bad one.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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