🥛 Egyptian Sahlab
Egyptian sahlab is a thick, warm milk drink thickened with starch and sweetened with sugar, served in a cup or bowl and topped with shredded coconut, chopped nuts, raisins and a dusting of cinnamon. It is silky and almost pudding-like, sipped slowly or eaten with a spoon, and is a winter favourite in Cairo cafés and homes.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 ml milk
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp chopped mixed nuts
- 1 tbsp raisins
- Ground cinnamon
Method
- Whisk the cornstarch into 100 ml cold milk until smooth.
- Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar.
- Pour in the cornstarch mix and stir constantly for 5 minutes until thick.
- Pour into cups and top with coconut, nuts, raisins and cinnamon.
How to make it lighter
- Use semi-skimmed milk and 2 tbsp sugar for a lighter cup.
- Top with cinnamon and a few raisins and go easy on coconut and nuts.
- A 200 ml cup is plenty; it is filling.
History
Sahlab takes its name from the ground orchid root (salep) that once thickened it in Ottoman times; today most cafés and homes use cornstarch instead. It is especially popular in Egypt and the Levant in winter.
Count it in one photo
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →