AI-generated image
Keşkül
Almond milk pudding
Keşkül: silky Ottoman almond milk pudding scattered with pistachios and coconut
Keşkül takes its name from the bowl that wandering dervishes carried for alms, and it has been on Istanbul pudding-shop counters (muhallebici) since Ottoman times. Ground almonds simmered in milk give it a delicate nutty flavour and a faint grain, set with a little rice flour and cornflour into a soft, spoonable pudding. Turks eat it chilled as an afternoon treat or after a light supper, topped with pistachio and desiccated coconut. The usual mistake is stopping the whisking as it thickens; it catches on the base and tastes scorched. Chef's tip: steep the ground almonds in the warm milk for 15 minutes before you start cooking for a much deeper almond flavour.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups whole milk
- 3 ½ oz ground almonds
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp pistachios (optional)finely chopped
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm 4 ¼ cups whole milk in a saucepan until steaming, stir in 3 ½ oz ground almonds and leave off the heat for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Whisk 2 tbsp rice flour, 3 tbsp cornflour, 1 egg yolk and 5 ½ oz sugar with a ladle of the milk to a smooth paste, then whisk it back into the pan.
Step 3: Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, for 10–12 minutes, until it bubbles thickly and coats the back of a spoon heavily. Common mistake: letting up on the whisk once it thickens, so it catches.
12 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract, pour into bowls and press cling film on the surface. Cool, then chill for at least 3 hours.
180 minStep 5: Scatter with 2 tbsp pistachios and 2 tbsp desiccated coconut to serve.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does keşkül take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Firik pilavıSmoky green wheat pilaf
Each June farmers around Gaziantep cut wheat while it is still green and burn off the husks in the field, which gives firik its gentle campfire smell. Cooked as a pilaf with onion, pepper paste and a handful of chickpeas, it has a chewy, nutty bite that sits well beside grilled kebabs or simply a bowl of ayran and a tomato salad. It is the everyday grain of the region's home kitchens, cheaper than rice and more filling. Rinse the grains well: grit and bits of chaff are common in firik. Chef's tip: let it rest under a tea towel for ten minutes after cooking; the steam finishes the grains and they separate beautifully.