Roz bi Laban (Rice Pudding)

Roz bi laban is rice with milk, which is exactly what the Arabic says, and it is among the most commonly eaten desserts in Egypt. It is sold from dessert shops and traditional restaurants in small individual bowls, set rather than loose, and served cold more often than warm. Its ubiquity comes from its simplicity. Rice, milk, sugar and a thickener are ingredients every household has, and the whole thing can be made in under half an hour if the rice is cooked separately rather than simmered in the milk from the start. That shortcut is common in Egyptian home kitchens and makes the dish close to foolproof, where the traditional method of cooking the rice slowly in milk demands constant stirring in the manner of a risotto. Rice pudding exists across most of the world and the Egyptian version is placed by its details. Cornstarch is used alongside the rice to give a firmer set than European rice puddings have, coconut flakes and raisins go on top, and cinnamon and chopped almonds are the other standard finishes. It sits in the same category as mahalabia and umm ali on the Egyptian dessert table, and is considered relatively light against those.