Today is a beautiful day in Beirut, rainy but full of babies… A great woman’s dog had 3 babies and an amazing designer just gave birth to Baby Peter. I am writing this post not to compare both at all but to call for a Meghli Celebration…
The tradition in Lebanon is to eat Meghli on these occasions… Originally the idea was to prepare this dish for mothers who gave birth, and with time it became more wide spread and now we offer it as a sign of celebration…
Ingredients:
1 cup of powdered rice
10 cups of water at room temperature
2 cups of sugar
1 TBL of powdered anise
1 TBL of powdered fennel
1 TBL of powdered caraway
1/2 tbsp of cinnamon
150 g of blanched almonds
150 g of pealed pistachio
150 g pine nuts
optional: 1/2 cup of coconuts for decoration
Procedures:
Soak the pine nuts, almonds, pistachio (ideally overnight) and don’t forget to dry them before using them
Boil 6 cups of water with the sugar
Mix the powdered rice with the spices together than add them up to the 4 cups of water
Then add up this mix to the mix of boiling water + sugar (make sure it is really boiling first) and mix actively
When boiling, lower the fire and keep on the fire for 2 hours while still mixing from time to time to help prevent the formation of lumps.
Once the meghli thick enough, sprinkle the cinnamon, mix again and then pour the mix into cups. Leave to cool
Decorate with the nuts (and grated coconuts if you like it)
Serve at room temperature
The meghli can be kept in the refrigerator for several days
Enjoy
NB: Meghli in Arabic means boiled, so don’t forget to make sure the mix boils properly!
Hoping your lives will all be full with babies laughter,
Happy Soraya
