Egyptian bread pudding (omm ali) recipe

This dessert, often compared to a bread and butter pudding, is made with filo pastry and sweetened condensed milk. With its combination of rose water, pistachios and juicy pomegranate seeds, it possesses a distinctly Middle Eastern flavour.

Serves 8
Preparation 10min
Cooking 30min
Skill level Mid

By
Angela Nahas

Ingredients

8 sheets
filo pastry
70 g
(½ cup) pistachios, chopped
2 tbsp
caster sugar
2 tbsp
shredded coconut
395 g
can sweetened condensed milk
125 ml
(½ cup) thickened cream
1½ cups
(375ml) milk
1 tsp
rosewater
pomegranate seeds, to serve

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 210°C. Scrunch each filo sheet into a ball and place in a greased and lined 19 cm x 29 cm lamington pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Reduce oven to 180°C. Scatter filo with nuts, sugar and coconut.

Heat condensed milk, cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes or until warmed. Stir in rosewater, then pour over filo. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve, scattered with pomegranate seeds.

As seen in Feast magazine, Mar 2012, Issue 7. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine.

Photography by Brett Stevens.

Recipes related to Egyptian bread pudding (omm ali):

Umm Ali Recipe | Almond Sesame Balls | Baklava with honey syrup | Fried Qatayef Bil-Kishta | Qatayef Asafiri Bil-Kishta | Kunafa