Um Ali or Om Ali is a traditional Egyptian dessert made with Phyllo pastry, bread, or Croissants. It’s a rich and royal sweet-flavored Arabic Dessert with lots of dry fruits of one’s choice. The coconut lends an aromatic flavor and it’s sweetened with milk and simple sugar syrup.
This is the most comforting and best ever Um Ali I have made. Moreover, it is also known as Egyptian Bread Pudding or Arabic Dessert that is commonly prepared during Ramzan/Ramadan. Popularly it is also known as one of the most easiest and delicious Iftaari desserts.
This is an upgraded version of my recipe that I had published in April 2016. However, so many readers who love this recipe have shared their reviews. Also, it is a very good recipe for Iftari, as it is not too difficult to prepare at home.
Moreover, sharing a step-by-step revised version of the recipe with new pictures. Hope it helps and you are instantly motivated to make this at home.
What is Um Ali?
Before I share the recipe with you all I would love to explain what Um Ali/ Om Ali is.
After doing some research on google I came to know the facts about this dessert. Legend has it that Om Ali was the first wife of Sultan Ezz El Din Aybek. When the sultan died..his second wife had a dispute with Om Ali, resulting in the second wife’s death. To celebrate, Om Ali made this dessert and distributed it among the people of the land. Since then her name stuck to this dessert.
Well, we are here to celebrate life. This post is dedicated to all my readers and friends who fast religiously during Ramadan and this dessert can be one of the best ways to break the fast.
“A fast is not a hunger strike. Fasting submits to God’s commands. A hunger strike makes God submit to our demands.” –Edwin Louis Cole
Step-By-Step Recipe of Um Ali-Om Ali-Traditional Egyptian Dessert-Ramadan Special
For Making Simple Sugar Syrup-
1. Take 2 cups of sugar in a pan and add 2 1/2 cups of water to it.
2. Boil it till bubbles are seen. Switch off the gas and let the syrup cool at room temperature.
How to Proceed:
3. Boil Milk in a pan add, sugar, coconut powder, and boil till it thickens.
4. Pre-heat the oven at 160 C for 10 minutes and meanwhile do all the preparations for Um Ali.
5. Toast bread slices on a nonstick Tawa using ghee till the bread becomes crisp and brown. Keep them aside.
6. Chop all the nuts coarsely and keep them aside in a bowl.
How to Assemble:
7. Take an ovenproof bowl and grease it nicely with ghee. This will not allow the bread slices and the pudding to stick at the bottom.
8. Arrange slices of bread in the bowl. Now start adding a handful of dry fruits to it.
9. Next, add a generous amount of desiccated coconut and pour the simple sugar syrup equally in the bowl.
10. Finally, add the milk to the bowls and bake it in the oven for 12-15 minutes till it’s bubbly and looks like a decadent pudding.
11. Once the pudding is baked, carefully remove it from the oven and keep it on the kitchen top.
12. Let the pudding cool for a while before consuming it. However, you can either have it hot or chill it in the fridge for 2 hours approximately till it cools down. I prefer to have it cold, but it also tastes good when you just dig a spoon into that bubbling hot pudding and wait to relish it.
Um Ali, the dessert became known as the dessert of celebrations in Egypt, the dessert served at big events and in congrats to newlyweds, newborns, and in celebration of Ramadan too. It moved on to become a well-loved and celebrated dessert all over the Middle East, however not many know exactly what this dessert celebrates! The death of Shajar al-Durr! This dessert comes with a somewhat dark history!
Empty your stomach to feed your soul!!
Um Ali
Ingredients
- 4 slices- White bread Can use brown bread as well
- 1 tbsp- Desiccated Coconut Powder
- 2 cups- Cold Milk
- 2 cups- Simple sugar syrup
- ½ tsp- Cardamom Powder
- Mix nuts of your choice.
- I have used the following nuts
- A handful of
- Pecan nuts
- Coconut nibs
- Pistachios
- Cranberries
- Raisins
- Figs
- Dry Rose Petals to garnish
Instructions
- For Making Simple Sugar Syrup-
- Take 2 cups of sugar in a pan and add 2 1/2 cups of water to it.
- Boil it till bubbles are seen. Switch off the gas and let the syrup cool at room temperature.
- How to Proceed:
- Boil Milk in a pan add, sugar, coconut powder, and boil till it thickens.
- Pre-heat the oven at 160 C for 10 minutes and meanwhile do all the preparations for Um Ali.
- Toast bread slices on a nonstick Tawa using ghee till the bread becomes crisp and brown. Keep them aside.
- Chop all the nuts coarsely and keep them aside in a bowl.
- How to Assemble:
- Take an ovenproof bowl and grease it nicely with ghee. This will not allow the bread slices and the pudding to stick at the bottom.
- Arrange slices of bread in the bowl. Now start adding a handful of dry fruits to it.
- Next, add a generous amount of desiccated coconut and pour the simple sugar syrup equally in the bowl.
- Finally, add the milk to the bowls and bake it in the oven for 12-15 minutes till it's bubbly and looks like a decadent pudding.
- Once the pudding is baked, carefully remove it from the oven and keep it on the kitchen top.
- Let the pudding cool for a while before consuming it. However, you can either have it hot or chill it in the fridge for 2 hours approximately till it cools down. I prefer to have it cold, but it also tastes good when you just dig a spoon into that bubbling hot pudding and wait to relish it.
Nutrition
Important points to know for Om Ali
- Few of the recipes of Om Ali use puff pastry, palmers, or Khari biscuits. We have used bread slices as it is easily available. However, you can swap it and use what suits you the best.
- A tip to get crunchy and not soggy Um Ali is to toast your bread in ghee before adding or soaking in milk.
- Use lots of dry fruits and dry coconut to make this recipe rich and aromatic.
- High-fat cow milk is used to make this recipe, but for the vegan version, you can add coconut or almond milk.
- Serve this hot or even cold as you may like and enjoy this dessert not just during Ramazan, but whenever you crave something sweet.
For more such comforting recipes, do check out these:
Gajar Ki Barfi / Carrot Pudding
Bread Halwa / Bread Pudding
Semiyan Payasam
Delicious Fruit Cream
Instant Bread Ras Malai
Shahi Kesar Gulab Jamun Phirni
Perfect recipe and nice description.
Thanks much.