Halawet el riz, is an Authentic Arabic sweet which is a rice, cheese and cream dish. Riz in Arabic means rice. This dessert is a close cousin to Halawet el jibn in taste and flavor.
This dish has two layers to it. The bottom layer is made of rice and mozzarella cheese. The second layer or top layer is rich and creamy with a bed of ground pistachios on top.
Just before serving, pour in a generous amount of fragrant sugar syrup. When you take a bite, there will be explosion of flavors, the pistachios add the crunch and the sugar syrup ties everything together.
This sweet is a little bland on its own, but the pleasantly odored sugar syrup turns it into a flavor bomb and takes it to another level. I loved this sweet, you all should try out this very different and exquisite dessert and i am sure you will be just as smitten as i am.
Halawet el Riz
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3-4 drops mastic plus a tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 1 tsp rose water
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- Chopped pistachios
- Sugar syrup
- Kashta
For the kashta
- 450 g ricotta cheese
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 1 tsp rose water
For the sugar syrup
- 100 g sugar
- 50 ml water
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 1 tbsp Rose water
Instructions
DIRECTIONS
To make the rice and cheese layer
- In a pan mix together rice and water. Cook till rice is well done.
- In a mortar and pestle, grind together 1 tsp sugar and mastic till powdered.
- Blend the rice into a puree.
- Return back to flame, add sugar and mix well. The mixture will become loose when you add sugar.
- Pour rose water, orange blossom water and powdered mastic.
- Add in the mozzarella cheese. Mix on very low flame till cheese is nicely melted. It will be a little tough to stir.
- Spread this mixture on a tray. Refrigerate it.
To make the kashta
- Mix all the ingredients listed under kashta.
To make sugar syrup
- In a pan add in the sugar and water. Let it come to a boil, stir for the sugar to dissolve.
- Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes till the syrup turns very thick.
- Switch off flame and add in orange blossom and rose water.
- Cover with lid and keep aside.
To Serve
- Cut the prepared rice and mozzarella mix into any shape you like.
- Place the piece on serving plate.
- Spread a generous amount of kashta on top.
- Sprinkle pistachios.
- Pour sugar syrup and serve immediately.
Notes
* Plain thick cream with rosewater and orangeblossom water can be used for kashta instead pf ricotta. If you get the Arabic cream kashta (clotted cream) that would be best.
* Orange blossom water can be omitted if you don't get it. But it sure gives an authentic aroma.
* Mastic can be omitted if you don't like the smell of it.
Great looking dessert…
Sure it tastes yummy..
Wow!!
This looks like an updated version of rice pudding… I love how you discover Arabic sweets… I love them a lot too… Looks absolutely delicious! Yet to find mastic here, maybe I must check them at Arab spice shops…
Thats Rafeeda! Mastic is available easily everywhere. I got mine from lulu, spice section.
Thank you for this great recipe. Can we prepare it a day before and keep it in the fridge for the next day.
Yes Nada you can do that. But warm the base a bit before serving or else it will be tough.
hello! I’ve done this recipe a couple of times now and it comes out perfect every single time! I wanted to do it today, but it seems like the ingredient list has disappeared from the post! is it just an error? can you please share it again??
Oh noo. There were issues with the blog. Still fixing it. I actually don’t have the recipe with me. I’ll try to get it back. If not I’ll make again and will update the recipe.
Hey. It got fixed. Please try opening it again.