Fauzia's Kitchen Fun

Layali Lebnan/Lebanese Nights

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Layali Lebnan/Lebanese Nights

The name of this delicious middle eastern pudding dessert translates to ‘Lebanese Nights’.  It is an incredibly delicious, easy to make semolina-based pudding, topped with whipped cream, fruits, nuts and simple sugar syrup.  I prefer to make it without the syrup and like to add a few drops of red food colouring to give the dessert a vivid pick of colour which contrasts so beautifully with the whipped cream.  Very pretty and highly refreshing in the summer time!
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 4 cups whole milk 800 ml
  • 1/2 cup fine semolina sooji
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp. orange blossom water OR vanilla essence
  • some red food colouring optional
  • 1/2 tsp. rose syrup optional

Ingredients

  • 1 cup liquid whipping cream whipped to soft peaks with 1 tbsp. icing sugar & 1 tsp. vanilla essence
  • banana slices for garnishing
  • chopped strawberries optional for garnishing
  • toasted slivered almonds for garnishing

Instructions
 

  • Mix milk, semolina, food coulouring and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil on medium heat while stirring continuously to make sure that the semolina does not clump or stick to the bottom of your pot.  As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and keep stirring.
    When the pudding thickens, remove from the heat and add your rose water or vanilla essence and rose syrup.
    Pour into a serving individual serving bowls.  Allow the pudding to cool completely.  Once cooled, top the pudding with whipped cream and chill.
    Just before serving, add the sliced fruits and slivered almonds.
    Enjoy!  🙂

Join the Conversation

  1. Hi Fauzia, this looks very
    Hi Fauzia, this looks very good. Thanks for sharing. Quick question: semolina is sooji flour right? (the white fine flour?) and liquid whipping cream… I am not sure what that is. Please if you could specify with a brand name that would be great 🙂

    1. Hi, thanks! Yes semolina is
      Hi, thanks! Yes semolina is sooji, and liquid whipping cream is basically just that, heavy cream that is in liquid form which is then whipped and used as a dessert topping.

    1. Not sure as I have never used
      Not sure as I have never used either of those two, best to google and see please.

  2. Aoa Fauzia,
    Aoa Fauzia,
    If orange blossom water is not available, vanilla essence to be used in the same quantity?would 1 tbsp vanilla essence not be too much?also the flavour of vanilla and orange blossom s quite different isn’t it?would the end result be the same?

    1. Yes same amount in
      Yes same amount in substitution with vanilla essence. It will not be too much, but you can reduce the amount per your preference.

  3. Salamis what are the
    Salamis what are the quantities of the ingredients used to make Lebanese Nights?How much sugar ,milk and semolina?

  4. Salam, can u pls tell me the
    Salam, can u pls tell me the quantity of milk,semolina and sugar…

  5. Aoa Fauzia,
    Aoa Fauzia,
    I made this today… Very refreshing!!!! I bought red colour or this but as it got cooked, the colour did not turn out to be pink,it was a very dull,dirty kind of a pink colour which did not LOOK good…otherwise taste was nice.i used orange blossom water a rose water….it was a bit different taste and my husband and in laws appreciated it but of course it’s quite different from the usual pakistani taste… If I skip the waters and use only vanilla essence would the taste be different???

    1. Thank you!! Simply keep
      Thank you!! Simply keep adding red colour as it cooks until you achieve a good vivid pink. You may have needed a few more drops. I personally do not like orange blossom water so I always use vanilla essence in it’s place and the results are always awesome. 🙂

  6. Thank you Fauzia for the very
    Thank you Fauzia for the very prompt reply… I am in love with your site and I think I would ultimately try all of your recipes… I have already tried many! One suggestion :)… It would really be helpful if you add videos esp the recipes in which we need to keep things in mind like consistency,or dough,or colour….jazakAllah and take care

    1. Thank you dear. InshaAllah
      Thank you dear. InshaAllah maybe in the future when I have more free time to set up cameras and take videos, at the moment I am barely managing to simply take pics and update recipes. 🙂

  7. Hi Fauzia, What is a rose
    Hi Fauzia, What is a rose syrup? Do you make it at home or do you purchase a specific brand? Please let me know if you know how to make it. Thanks.

  8. This tastes really good which
    This tastes really good which makes my family to demand again n again.Even my chotta 1yr baby loved it 🙂 thank u so much for sharing such a kind of good tasty recipes.

  9. hi
    hi
    do you have a recipe for a whipping or whipped cream?
    I don’t have rose syrup here. Which brand do you buy and if I don’t find rose syrup can I use another substitute?

    1. Hi, I buy the whipping cream
      Hi, I buy the whipping cream ready made then just whip it and use. For rose syrup, I use a brand known as PEP. You can use any substitute.

  10. Salams Fauzia,
    Salams Fauzia,
    please show us how to make labania swahili milk sweets. Thanks.

  11. Assalamualikum Fauzia,
    Assalamualikum Fauzia,
    is it important to put food coluring??,will the taste change

    1. W/Salaam, food colour is only
      W/Salaam, food colour is only for the colour not the flavour.

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