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1
Make the Cornstarch Slurry
3 Mins
Cold milk, about 4°C (39°F)
Put the cornstarch into the cup with the 100 ml of cold milk you set aside and whisk it until it is completely smooth, with no lumps and no white streaks on the side of the cup.
Always mix cornstarch into cold milk: hot milk makes the starch set into lumps at once, and no amount of stirring will smooth them out.
Done when: A smooth, milky liquid with no lumps, like thin cream.
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2
Warm the Milk with Cinnamon
4 Mins
Medium heat, milk warmed to about 80°C (175°F)
Pour the remaining 400 ml of milk into a small saucepan, stir in 1 g of the cinnamon, and warm it over medium heat, stirring now and then, until it is steaming and just about to simmer, about 80°C (175°F). Do not let it boil.
Stir as you heat: milk scorches on the bottom of the pan in seconds if it sits still, and scorched milk spoils the whole drink.
Done when: The milk is steaming, with small bubbles forming around the edge of the pan, but it is not boiling.
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3
Thicken the Sahlab
5 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 85°C (185°F); do not boil
Give the slurry one last stir, then pour it into the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking all the time. Keep whisking over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the drink thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and falls from the whisk in a slow, glossy ribbon.
Do not stop whisking while the slurry goes in: the starch thickens the moment it hits the hot milk, and steady whisking is what keeps it silky instead of lumpy.
Done when: The drink coats the back of a spoon and pours in a slow, thick ribbon; it should be drinkable, not set like pudding.
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4
Sweeten and Scent
2 Mins
Hot, about 80°C (176°F)
Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the sugar until it has completely dissolved, then stir in the rosewater and the vanilla extract. Taste and add a little more sugar only if you like it sweeter.
Add the rosewater off the heat: boiling drives off its delicate floral scent, and a teaspoon is plenty — more tastes soapy.
Done when: No sugar grit on the spoon, and a gentle rose and vanilla scent over the warm milk.
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5
Pour, Top and Serve
1 Min
Serve hot, about 70°C (158°F)
Pour the sahlab into the two cups or bowls. Scatter the chopped pistachios over the top and dust with the remaining 1 g of cinnamon. Serve at once, with a spoon, while it is hot and thick.
Serve straight away: sahlab keeps thickening as it stands, and a skin forms on top within minutes.
Done when: Two hot, thick drinks, white with green pistachios and a dusting of cinnamon on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Sahlab is a drink to make fresh and serve the moment it is poured — hot, thick, sweet and scented, with the crunch of pistachios and the warmth of cinnamon on top.
Egypt
1h 15m
