Equipment
Ingredients
Pudding Base
- 1000 ml whole milk, cold
- 160 g sugar
- 40 g rice flour
- 40 g cornstarch
- 2 mastic gum, frozen
Caramelization Layer
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened
- 30 g sugar
Garnish
- ground cinnamon
- ground pistachios
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 303 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 52 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 40 g
- Sodium
- 74 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Potassium
- 237 mg
- Calcium
- 194 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 20 mg
- Phosphorus
- 152 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 100 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.30 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 149 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the mastic crystals in a mortar with a teaspoon of the sugar (taken from the pudding base amount). Grind firmly until it becomes a fine powder.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the cold milk, remaining sugar, rice flour, cornstarch, and ground mastic. Whisk thoroughly before turning on the heat to ensure no lumps remain.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. As the mixture heats up, switch to a spatula to scrape the bottom. Bring to a gentle boil; once it bubbles and thickens to a consistency similar to heavy cream, cook for 2 more minutes to activate the starches completely.
Grease the bottom and sides of a rectangular metal baking tray (approx 25x35cm) generously with the softened butter. Sprinkle the 30g of sugar evenly over the butter.
Pour about 2 ladles of the hot pudding into the prepared tray—just enough to cover the bottom thinly. Place the tray directly over two burners on the stove set to medium-high heat.
Rotate the tray constantly over the flame. The sugar and pudding layer will begin to bubble vigorously and caramelize. Continue rotating until the entire bottom is evenly dark brown (almost black in spots). You should smell a rich caramel/burnt sugar aroma.
Remove tray from heat. Immediately pour the remaining pudding over the caramelized layer. Smooth the top gently with a spatula.
Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to set completely.
To serve, cut the pudding into large rectangles. Use a spatula to lift the edge of a rectangle and roll it upon itself (like a rug), exposing the dark caramelized bottom as the outer layer. Garnish with cinnamon or pistachios.
Chef's Notes
- Mastic (damla sakızı) has a very potent pine/resin flavor. Use sparingly; too much will make the dessert bitter.
- The 'burning' step requires a metal tray. Do not attempt this with glass (Pyrex) or ceramic, as they will shatter over direct flame.
- If you cannot find mastic, the dish becomes 'Kazandibi', but without the specific pine aroma. You can substitute with vanilla bean paste, though it changes the traditional profile.
- For the cleanest cuts, dip your knife in warm water between slices.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep covered to prevent skin formation or absorbing odors.
Troubleshooting
Pudding cracks or breaks when rolling
Cause: The pudding was overcooked (too stiff) or the caramelized layer stuck too hard to the pan
Fix: Serve as flat squares instead of rolls; the taste will be identical
Prevention: Ensure the tray is well-buttered before burning; do not over-boil the starch mixture
Cultural Context
Kazandibi (translating to 'bottom of the cauldron') originated in the kitchens of the Ottoman Palace. It was originally a byproduct of making Tavuk Göğsü (chicken breast pudding), where the chefs would scrape the caramelized bottom layer to serve as a delicacy. Today, it is beloved across Turkey for its interplay of textures: the wobbly, cool interior against the slightly bitter, chewy, burnt skin.
