APRICOT AND POMEGRANATE MUHALLABIA

Muhallabia is a classic middle eastern pudding.  It’s creamy and silky-smooth, and yet contains no cream, butter or eggs, and only a modest amount of sugar. Best of all, this traditional Moroccan pudding has the exotic taste of rose petals, a flavor seldom encountered in the Americas and Northern Europe, but common throughout North Africa and the Middle East. It also has few ingredients and is as quick and easy to make as breakfast porridge, so you can enjoy it almost any time. Its mostly like indian kheer but with the flavour of rose water. I have already posted the recipe of simple milk muhalabbia, and this is  a variation of it. The sweet,tangy taste of apricots and pomegranates combined with the creamy muhallabia. I have wanted to try this variation ever since i saw the mouthwatering pics in taste of beirut. I had bookmarked it a long time ago, now with pomegranates back in season, and the abundance of apricots too, i got the chance. Apricot muhallabia  tastes a bit like “khubani ka meetha”.

APRICOT MUHALLABIA

serves 5-6

cooking time- 30 mnts

Ingredients;-

• 3 cups milk muhallabia
• 3 cups apricot compote as given below
• toasted almond slivers to garnish

Method:-

Make the milk muhallabia and apricot compote separately and keep aside. Divide and layer the muhallabia and compote alternatevly. Decorate with some toasted nuts of your choice or almonds.

Making Apricot compote:-

makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 7-8  fresh apricots, washed and halved
• sugar or honey – 1/4 cup
• 1 tsp rose water

METHOD:-

Halve and stone the apricots. Put the honey and  water into a pan, then stir until the honey has dissolved. Add the apricots and cook over a gentle heat or simmer for 12-15 mins , until the apricots are soft, untill the liquid turns syrupy. Mix in rose water and refrigerate to cool.

POMEGRANATE MUHALLABIA

Pomegranates  apart from being one of the sweetest fruits are also the healthiest. The pomegranate has been mentioned in many ancient texts, notably in ” QURAN” , Babylonian texts, the Book of Exodus, the Homeric Hymns . Persians believe Eve actually ate a pomegranate when she plucked from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life. Greeks break open a pomegranate at wedding celebrations and the Chinese eat candied pomegranate seeds for good luck. pomegranates are full of antioxidantS ,Punicalagins ,which is the major component responsible for pomegranate’s antioxidant and health benefits. They not only lower cholesterol, but also lower blood pressure and increase the speed at which heart blockages (atherosclerosis) melt away.

In other studies, potent antioxidant compounds found in pomegranates have shown to reduce platelet aggregation and naturally lower blood pressure, factors that prevent both heart attacks and strokes. pomegranates might help combat erectile dysfunction . This super fruit might also reduce the inflammation of arthritis by slowing the enzymatic activity that breaks down cartilage.

Pomegranate muhallabi

serves 5-6

cooking time – 30 mnts

Ingredients;-

• 3 cups milk muhallabia
• 3 cups pomegranate compote as given below
• toasted almond slivers/ dry fruits to garnish
• 1 cup pomegranate airils for topping

Method:-

Make the milk muhallabia and pomegranate compote separately and keep aside. Divide and layer the muhallabia and compote alternatevly. Decorate with some toasted nuts of your choice or almonds. And top it with sprinkled pomegranate airils. Serve chilled and enjoy.

Making pomegranate compote:-

For making fresh pomegranate juice  place the seeds of two ripe pomegranates in the food processor and run the machine for a minute,  transfer the mashed mixture onto a strainer and press on it. Collect the juice,measure and use to make pomegranate compote.

INGREDIENTS:-

• 2 cups of fresh pomegranate juice
• 4 tbsp of sugar
  
• 4 tbsp of cornstarch
• 1 tsp rose water

METHOD:-

Place the pomegranate juice (less 1/2 cup)  and sugar in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and heat till steaming. Add the dissolved cornstarch and remaining juice and stir until thickened. Add the rose water and stir to combine.

you may also like POMEGRANATE SMOOTHIE , APRICOT YOGHURT PARFAIT , ORANGE KHEE,  QUBANI KA MEETHA

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