AI-generated image
Meghli
Meghli: Lebanese caraway, cinnamon and anise rice pudding made to celebrate a new baby
When a baby is born in Lebanon, the family cooks a big pot of meghli and hands out bowls to every visitor who comes to congratulate them; it also appears at Christmas in Christian homes. Ground rice is simmered with sugar and warm spices — caraway, cinnamon and anise — until it sets into a smooth, cocoa-brown pudding with no milk or eggs at all. Each bowl is topped with desiccated coconut and a generous pile of soaked walnuts, almonds, pistachios and pine nuts. Common mistake: walking away from the pot; ground rice catches and lumps fast, so it needs steady stirring. Chef's tip: soak the nuts in cold water overnight and peel the almonds; they turn plump and crisp, which is the hallmark of a good meghli.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pudding
To top
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: In a large heavy pan, whisk 5 ½ oz rice flour (ground rice), 6 ½ oz sugar, 2 tbsp ground caraway, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp ground aniseed with a little of 6 ¾ cups water to a smooth paste, then whisk in the rest of the water so there are no lumps.
Step 2: Set over a medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom, until it comes to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Lower the heat and keep stirring for 20–25 minutes, until the pudding is thick and glossy and a spoon drawn through it leaves a trail that slowly closes.
25 minStep 4: Ladle into small bowls and leave to cool, then chill for at least 2 hours until set.
120 minStep 5: Drain the nuts. Sprinkle each bowl with 1 ⅜ oz desiccated coconut and arrange 2 ⅛ oz walnut halves, 2 ⅛ oz almonds, 1 ⅜ oz pistachios and 1 oz pine nuts on top just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does meghli take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground cinnamon?
- A cinnamon stick, ground: about ½ tsp per stick.
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
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
British
Chocolate sauce
A thick, glossy chocolate sauce made from store-cupboard cocoa and milk, ready in under 10 minutes. Pour it hot over vanilla ice cream, or let it cool and spread it on cakes and puddings.