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Um Ali (banana & bread dessert)

Bread and banana pudding

Toasted bread baked with bananas, nuts and saffron-cardamom milk under whipped cream

Um Ali is Egypt's much-loved warm bread pudding. Here toasted bread is layered with bananas, pistachios, almonds, walnuts and raisins, then covered with saffron and cardamom milk mixed with sweetened whipped cream and baked until bubbling and golden. Rich, creamy and comforting; serve warm.
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
8
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Ingredients

Serves8
  • 4 slices breadtoasted, crusts removed
  • 1 tsp butterfor the dish
  • ½ cup whipping cream½ cup, whipped
  • 2 tbsp sugar

For the filling

  • 2 ripe bananaspeeled and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup pistachioschopped
  • ¼ cup almondschopped
  • ¼ cup walnutschopped
  • 3 threads saffron
  • 2 cups milk2 cups
  • 1 ¾ oz sugar¼ cup
  • 4 tbsp raisins
  • 5 cardamom podscrushed

To garnish

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Put 2 ripe bananas, ¼ cup pistachios, ¼ cup almonds, ¼ cup walnuts, 3 threads saffron, 2 cups milk, 1 ¾ oz sugar, 4 tbsp raisins and 5 cardamom pods in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.

    20 min
  2. Step 2: Strain the milk from the nuts and bananas. Leave both to cool. Pick out the cardamom pods.

    10 min
  3. Step 3: Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking dish with 1 tsp butter and arrange 4 slices bread to cover the base.

  4. Step 4: Spread the nuts and bananas over the bread.

  5. Step 5: Whisk 2 tbsp sugar into ½ cup whipping cream, then mix with the strained milk. Pour it over the bananas.

  6. Step 6: Bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly golden. Garnish with 2 tbsp mixed nuts and serve warm.

    20 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
260 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
27 g
Fat
15 g
Fibre
2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does um Ali (banana & bread dessert) take?
About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 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 vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.

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