Sachlav

Ingredients

Drink

• 1 litrewhole milk
• 4 tbspcornflour
• 4 tbspsugar
• 1 tsprose water
• or 1 tsp orange blossom water

If using real salep

• 2 tspsalep powder in place of the cornflour

To finish

• ground cinnamon
• desiccated coconut
• crushed pistachios
• chopped walnuts
• raisins

To serve

• hot, in glasses or paper cups

Directions

1. Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar in a heavy pan until steaming. Now pour the slaked cornflour into the hot milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly.
2. Cook it over a medium heat, whisking without stopping, until it thickens and comes to a boil. Let it boil for a full minute. Cornflour only reaches full thickening power at boiling point, and pulled off early it stays thin and separates as it cools.
3. Whisk hard as it thickens, especially around the base and corners of the pan where it catches first. The consistency should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable and drinkable.
4. Take it off the heat and stir in the rose or orange blossom water. Add the flower water off the heat, because it is volatile and boiling drives the perfume straight off. A teaspoon is enough, and too much makes the whole thing taste of soap.
5. Pour it into glasses or paper cups while it is very hot. Dust heavily with cinnamon, then scatter coconut, pistachios, walnuts and raisins over the surface.
6. Pile the toppings on thickly rather than sprinkling them. The eating is as much about spooning through the nuts as drinking the milk beneath.
7. Serve it immediately, very hot, with a spoon as well as drinking it. It is winter street food, sold from carts on cold evenings, and it is drunk standing outside with cold hands around the cup.

Technique

• Commercial sahlab powder sachets are sold in Middle Eastern shops and are cornflour-based.
• The toppings vary by country and by cart, and the cinnamon is the constant.
• It thickens considerably as it stands and is loosened with hot milk.

Substitutions

• Cornflour, which is what almost every commercial version uses.
• Rose water or orange blossom, according to preference.

Variations

• Made with real salep, where it is legally available.
• Sahlab, the Egyptian version.
• Made thicker and eaten as a pudding.

History

Sold from winter street carts and kiosks; commercially it is thickened with starch rather than true orchid powder.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sachlav?

Sachlav is a drink from Israel: hot sweet milk pudding-drink topped with coconut, cinnamon and nuts. Sold from winter street carts and kiosks; commercially it is thickened with starch rather than true orchid powder.

How long does Sachlav take to make?

Sachlav takes 5 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 cups. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Sachlav?

Yes, within limits. Cornflour, which is what almost every commercial version uses. Rose water or orange blossom, according to preference.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sachlav?

Take it off the heat and stir in the rose or orange blossom water. Add the flower water off the heat, because it is volatile and boiling drives the perfume straight off. A teaspoon is enough, and too much makes the whole thing taste of soap.