Sütlü erişte (Turkish milk noodle pudding)

Sütlü erişte is a delicate, rose-scented, creamy Turkish dessert. Pronounced 'soot-loo eh-reesh-teh', the name means 'milk noodles' as it features a type of Turkish egg noodle called erişte which is used in a variety of dishes, from savoury soups to sweet desserts.

Erişte is also known as kesme, which translates to "a cutting," referring to its traditional preparation method of cutting dough into short, thin strips by hand. Although longer, tagliatelle pasta has a similar shape, which is why it’s used in this recipe.

Tagliatelle pasta has a very similar thickness and cut to traditional Turkish erişte

When chilled and set, each spoonful of sütlü erişte offers a delightful combination of firm layers of noodles and a light, creamy, rose-scented custard, making it an ideal dessert for summer. The dessert can also be enjoyed warm soon after preparing it on colder days, where it is very comforting.

You can use erişte noodles instead of tagliatelle pasta, but cooking times may need to be adjusted depending on the variety used. You can also use orange blossom water instead of rose water if you prefer the flavour.

Makes 4 servings | Preparation time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour | Additional time for cooling and setting

Ingredients

​1L milk	​½ tsp vanilla extract
​150g tagliatelle pasta	​10g cornflour (cornstarch)
​100g white sugar	​Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling on top
​2 tbsp rose water, or as desired

Hob heat settings

Method

1. Break the tagliatelle pasta between your hands gently to get 4-5cm pieces.

   
   

   

   
   

2. Add hot water to a large saucepan and place on a high heat. Once it starts to simmer, add the broken tagliatelle pasta and boil according to the pack instructions, plus an extra 5 minutes so that it is slightly overcooked but not falling apart. Stir occasionally so that the pasta doesn't stick together.

   
   

3. Completely drain the cooked pasta and return to the saucepan along with 900ml of the milk. Stir well and boil while loosely covered on a medium-high heat for 30-35 minutes, or until the milk has reduced down and thickened slightly. The pasta should be clearly visible and bubbling to the surface - a skin should also form and the pasta should soften and thicken further. The longer you boil it at this step, the firmer the pudding will set (it depends on your preference). Stir occasionally while cooking so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.

   
   

4. Add the sugar, rose water and vanilla extract and cook for a further 1 minute, stirring continuously until the sugar has fully dissolved.

   
   

5. In a bowl, dissolve the cornflour in the remaining 100ml milk. Pour this cornflour mixture in and stir slowly and continuously until the milk’s consistency is similar to single cream - about 5-10 minutes. It won’t thicken more than this while cooking and will instead thicken as it cools.

   
   

6. Serve in small bowls, sprinkled with a little ground cinnamon on top. Serve warm, or cold and set from the fridge when a light creamy custard forms between the layers of pasta. If you let the servings cool, you need to loosely cover them with a tea tray and tea towel to make sure the skin on top doesn’t go hard. Cover the servings with cling film before placing in the fridge.