Talbina

Ingredients

Base

• 4 tablespoonsbarley flour
• 500 mlwhole milk
• 100 mlwater
• a pinch of salt

To sweeten

• 2 tablespoonshoney
• or 4 dates, pitted and chopped

Optional

• 1/2 teaspoonground cinnamon
• a few crushed cardamom pods
• chopped nuts, to serve
• a spoonful of cream, to serve

Directions

1. Grind them in a spice mill until they are floury. Talbina should be thin enough to drink from a cup. Put the barley flour into a cold pan.
2. Pour in the water and whisk it into a smooth paste. Starting with cold liquid is what prevents lumps.
3. Whisk until there is not a single lump left. Add the salt, which lifts the flavour of the grain. Cooking it needs a low heat and steady stirring.
4. Set the pan over a very low heat. Bring it slowly up to a bare simmer. Whisk it constantly as it heats through.
5. Let it simmer gently for about ten minutes. The raw floury taste should disappear entirely. Cook it longer for a thicker porridge. Sweetening it is done at the end of cooking.
6. Take the pan off the heat before adding honey. Stir the honey through until it dissolves. Add them earlier so they soften and break down. Add the cinnamon or cardamom now if you want them. Serving it is done warm in cups or in bowls.
7. Pour it into cups if it is thin enough to drink. Use bowls and spoons for a thicker version. Scatter chopped nuts over the top if you like. Make it fresh, because it thickens and separates on standing.

Technique

• The hadith reference is the reason for the dish’s standing, and it is recorded in the major collections including Sahih al-Bukhari.
• This entry records that textual history without making any medical claim about the dish.

Substitutions

• Oat flour can be used in place of barley flour and gives a similar texture, though it is not the traditional grain.
• Any milk works, and plant milks make a version suitable for anyone avoiding dairy.

Variations

• A savoury version leaves out the sweetener and adds a little salt and olive oil.
• Some households cook it with water alone and add milk at the end.
• Adding blended dates rather than honey gives a darker, deeper sweetness.

History

Named in hadith as a comfort for the grieving and the ill, and revived as a health food.

Frequently asked questions

What is Talbina?

Talbina is a breakfast from Saudi Arabia: soothing barley flour porridge cooked in milk, sweetened with honey or dates. Named in hadith as a comfort for the grieving and the ill, and revived as a health food.

How long does Talbina take to make?

Talbina takes 5 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 2. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Talbina?

Yes, within limits. Oat flour can be used in place of barley flour and gives a similar texture, though it is not the traditional grain. Any milk works, and plant milks make a version suitable for anyone avoiding dairy.