Try Chef Shane Delia’s Sweet Riff on Turkish Pudding With Crumble

Chef and restaurateur Shane Delia re-creates a rice-and-milk pudding he discovered along Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, one of many sutlaç found on menus in the region; this recipe gets additional texture from a pistachio crumble.

AramcoWorld July August 2026

3 min

June 23, 2026

Written by Shane Delia. Photographed by Rob Palmer. Author photo by Matt Russell.

Rice-and-milk puddings (called sutlaç) are a big part of the Middle Eastern and Turkish menu.

I have been eating these for as long as I can remember—some good, some not so good, but none of them have been as delicious as the one I had in the Pontic Mountains around Trabzon, along Türkiye’s Black Sea coast. Such a simple dish of sugar, milk and rice, but, when it is cooked with love using one of the best ingredients possible, it’s a recipe for success.

Ingredients

Cracked Wheat and Tomato Kibbeh

Serves 6-12

Pistachio crumble:

11 tablespoons (150 grams) butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (75 grams) sugar
Heaped 1 tablespoon pistachio paste (see note)
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (125 grams) pistachios, plus extra to serve

Rosewater sutlaç

4 cups (1 liter) whole milk (see note)
¼ cup (60 grams) baldo rice (or arborio rice)
⅓ cup (70 grams) sugar
½ cup (120 milliliter) rosewater
Small handful mint leaves, to serve

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Farenheit). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Using an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and pistachio paste for 5 minutes at a moderate speed until pale. Add the flour and pistachios to the bowl, reduce the speed to low and mix until it just comes together.

Transfer the pistachio mixture onto the prepared baking tray and spread out into an even layer. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 17 minutes or until golden. Remove the shortbread from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Break up into a crumble.

To make the rosewater sutlaç, place the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until the milk has reduced by a third.

In a separate saucepan, cook the rice, adding the milk, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously, until al dente. Add the sugar and rosewater, stir well and then pour into serving bowls.

Place a mound of pistachio crumble on top of the sutlaç. Top with pistachios and mint leaves and serve either hot or cold.

Notes:
Pistachio paste is available from a specialist Middle Eastern grocery store. It can be purchased online. Use fresh milk from a cow or goat for superior flavor.

Reprinted with permission from:
East/West: A Culinary Journey Through Malta, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, Morocco, and Andalusia
Shane Delia. Interlink Books, 2017. InterlinkBooks.com