How to Make Meghli (Lebanese Spiced Rice Pudding)

Meghli (also spelled mighli) is a smooth pudding of rice flour cooked with sugar, ground caraway and cinnamon until it turns a deep warm brown. When a baby is born in Lebanon, the family cooks a big pot and hands out bowls to every visitor who comes to congratulate them. Many families also make it at Christmas, when it marks the birth of Christ.

It is naturally dairy-free and egg-free. All the richness comes from the topping: walnuts, almonds, pistachios and pine nuts soaked overnight until they turn soft and milky, plus a snowfall of desiccated coconut. Serve it cold, so the spice and the nuts both come through.

Ingredients

For the pudding

• 160 g (1 cup) rice flour
• 200 g (1 cup) sugar, or 150 g (¾ cup) for a less sweet pudding
• 1½ tbsp ground caraway
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground anise (optional)
• 2 liters (8½ cups) cold water

For the topping

• 50 g (½ cup) walnut halves
• 40 g (⅓ cup) whole almonds
• 30 g (¼ cup) shelled pistachios
• 30 g (3 tbsp) pine nuts
• 40 g (½ cup) desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. The night before, put the walnuts, almonds, pistachios and pine nuts in separate bowls, cover with cold water and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
2. The next day, drain the nuts. Slip the skins off the almonds and pistachios by pinching them between your fingers. Rub the walnuts lightly to loosen some of their papery skin. Keep the nuts in a little fresh cold water in the fridge until serving.
3. In a large, heavy pot (at least 4 liters), whisk together the rice flour, sugar, caraway, cinnamon and anise.
4. Pour in the cold water gradually, whisking all the time, until there are no lumps. Starting cold is what keeps the pudding smooth.
5. Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking often, about 12 minutes. The mixture will look thin and cloudy at first.
6. Once it bubbles, lower the heat to medium-low and keep stirring with a wooden spoon or whisk, scraping the bottom, for 20 to 25 minutes. It is ready when it has turned a deeper brown and coats the back of a spoon thickly, like a pouring custard. It will set firmer as it cools.
7. Ladle the hot pudding into 8 to 10 small bowls or glasses. Let them cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
8. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until fully set.
9. Just before serving, sprinkle each bowl with coconut and arrange the drained soaked nuts on top.

Tips for the best meghli

• Use rice flour, not glutinous (sweet) rice flour, which makes it gummy.
• Grind the caraway fresh if you can. It is the main flavor, and pre-ground caraway fades quickly.
• Stir constantly once it thickens. Meghli catches on the bottom easily.
• Put the toppings on only at serving time so the coconut stays white and the nuts stay crisp at the edges.

Variations

• Lighter spice: if caraway is new to you, start with 1 tbsp and add more after tasting the pudding halfway through cooking.
• Ground rice: some grandmothers grind short-grain rice themselves. Fine homemade rice powder works, but sift it so the pudding stays smooth.
• Extra toppings: a few golden raisins or a light dusting of cinnamon are common additions in some families.

How to serve and store

Meghli is served cold, in small bowls, often on a tray with coffee for visitors. Covered with cling film, the plain pudding keeps in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Store the soaked nuts separately in water and change the water daily.

If you want a milk-based pudding instead, try our Lebanese rice pudding (riz bi haleeb). For the nuts, Beirut roasters like Al Kazzi Nuts and gourmet houses like Al Helbawi sell raw walnuts, almonds and pine nuts.

Frequently Asked Questions