Hello,
Gosh it seems like an endless summer in Mumbai! I feel like a roasted crisp thanks to the relentless heat and don't get me started on the humidity.😧
There are days when I'm tempted to stick my tongue like a dog and pant vigorously😛. But then good sense prevails and stops me from making a fool of myself in front of my in-laws :D
Have I ever mentioned, our home in Mumbai is in a lush green suburb🌳🏡🌳🏡. We have the multiple gardens, famous universities & schools around which add colour to the ambiance. In fact our lane is a nature's paradise flanked with gigantic trees, forming a massive green canopy.
By the day it's buzzing with the laughter of passing children, chatter of teens hanging out, cozy couples stealing a few moments and fresh drivers testing their mettle on the wheel. But as night descends, the buzz leaves for their respective nests; leaving back a quiet neighbourhood. The bright green umbrella metamorphoses into a dark shadow, obliterating the sky with it's tentacled hands. The handful of street lamps cast a pale glow, setting the perfect ambiance for a horror movie; shame we don't have a dilapidated ol' bunglow to complete the scenery👻
My favourite time of the day at home, is morning; where our kitchen window offers a perfect view of a branching tree, singing birds & scurrying squirrels (besides rabbits, they are my favourite!!) There is a spring in my step & a smile on my face whenever I cook watching the squirrels scamper about the tree; despite this balmy weather
Inspired by their warm fuzziness I made light, fluffy, melt in the mouth Caramel Custard on the weekend. This recipes yields about 10 cupcake sized caramel custards.
RECIPE:
1) You need 2 cups full-fat milk, 2 eggs beaten, 10 tsp sugar, 5-6 tsp sugar for the caramel & 1 tsp vanilla essence.
2) Place the sugar for caramel in an aluminium pan or any pan that you normally use. Place the pan directly over fire for the sugar to melt. Keep the flame at minimum. When the sugar starts to caramelize and becomes brown, close the flame.
3) Pour this immediately into silicone cupcake moulds/desired moulds, making sure to spread the caramel evenly at the base. Take care while handling molten caramel as it's scalding hot.
4) In a saucepan, heat milk. Add sugar. Cook for sometime till sugar dissolves and milk thickens almost to 3/4 it's size. Let the milk cool.
5) Add the beaten eggs & 1tsp of vanilla essence, to the milk. Mix well then strain the mixture to eliminate the white strands of chalazae (mucus like protein in egg white)
6) Heat the oven to 180 deg F for about 15 mins. Keep a water bath ready in a deep dish, it should be almost half full.
7) Line the cupcake moulds or the dish you are gonna use; pour the milk mixture evenly between them.
8) Lower the oven temp to 150 deg F. Place the custard filled cup-cake moulds in the water bath carefully. The water should rise upto a little more than half-way, of the moulds.
9) Bake for 20 mins. Make sure that during baking, the water does not dry. If required, add more water. After 20 mins, test the center of the caramel pudding with a knife; it should come out clean, then pudding is done, if not bake till done.
10) The unmoulding part is easy if you allow the pudding to cool for half hour. Gently hold the serving dish/plate on top of the mould. In one quick motion turn the serving up-side down; tap the mould gently or squiggle a bit it in case using silicone moulds like me; the custard will unmould effortlessly. Optional you can serve it in the cupcake mould itself, as it creates less mess ;) plus the silicone cupcake moulds I have colourful so they lend an extra funk to serving.
11) You can serve Caramel Custard room temperature or chilled.
Caramel Custard reminds me of family time as kids. After a particular heavy Sunday lunch it was custom for us to indulge in Caramel Custard from a restaurant close-by. When I grew-up, it was always on my list learning to make the same silky, goodness at home. After a couple of attempts, arrived at this recipe, which reminds me of the ones we had as kids.
Gosh it seems like an endless summer in Mumbai! I feel like a roasted crisp thanks to the relentless heat and don't get me started on the humidity.😧
There are days when I'm tempted to stick my tongue like a dog and pant vigorously😛. But then good sense prevails and stops me from making a fool of myself in front of my in-laws :D
Have I ever mentioned, our home in Mumbai is in a lush green suburb🌳🏡🌳🏡. We have the multiple gardens, famous universities & schools around which add colour to the ambiance. In fact our lane is a nature's paradise flanked with gigantic trees, forming a massive green canopy.
By the day it's buzzing with the laughter of passing children, chatter of teens hanging out, cozy couples stealing a few moments and fresh drivers testing their mettle on the wheel. But as night descends, the buzz leaves for their respective nests; leaving back a quiet neighbourhood. The bright green umbrella metamorphoses into a dark shadow, obliterating the sky with it's tentacled hands. The handful of street lamps cast a pale glow, setting the perfect ambiance for a horror movie; shame we don't have a dilapidated ol' bunglow to complete the scenery👻
My favourite time of the day at home, is morning; where our kitchen window offers a perfect view of a branching tree, singing birds & scurrying squirrels (besides rabbits, they are my favourite!!) There is a spring in my step & a smile on my face whenever I cook watching the squirrels scamper about the tree; despite this balmy weather
Inspired by their warm fuzziness I made light, fluffy, melt in the mouth Caramel Custard on the weekend. This recipes yields about 10 cupcake sized caramel custards.
1) You need 2 cups full-fat milk, 2 eggs beaten, 10 tsp sugar, 5-6 tsp sugar for the caramel & 1 tsp vanilla essence.
2) Place the sugar for caramel in an aluminium pan or any pan that you normally use. Place the pan directly over fire for the sugar to melt. Keep the flame at minimum. When the sugar starts to caramelize and becomes brown, close the flame.
3) Pour this immediately into silicone cupcake moulds/desired moulds, making sure to spread the caramel evenly at the base. Take care while handling molten caramel as it's scalding hot.
4) In a saucepan, heat milk. Add sugar. Cook for sometime till sugar dissolves and milk thickens almost to 3/4 it's size. Let the milk cool.
5) Add the beaten eggs & 1tsp of vanilla essence, to the milk. Mix well then strain the mixture to eliminate the white strands of chalazae (mucus like protein in egg white)
6) Heat the oven to 180 deg F for about 15 mins. Keep a water bath ready in a deep dish, it should be almost half full.
7) Line the cupcake moulds or the dish you are gonna use; pour the milk mixture evenly between them.
8) Lower the oven temp to 150 deg F. Place the custard filled cup-cake moulds in the water bath carefully. The water should rise upto a little more than half-way, of the moulds.
9) Bake for 20 mins. Make sure that during baking, the water does not dry. If required, add more water. After 20 mins, test the center of the caramel pudding with a knife; it should come out clean, then pudding is done, if not bake till done.
11) You can serve Caramel Custard room temperature or chilled.
Caramel Custard reminds me of family time as kids. After a particular heavy Sunday lunch it was custom for us to indulge in Caramel Custard from a restaurant close-by. When I grew-up, it was always on my list learning to make the same silky, goodness at home. After a couple of attempts, arrived at this recipe, which reminds me of the ones we had as kids.
Right now I'm craving a chilled watermelon, best beat-the-heat remedy to fill-up n be hydrated; so I'm off to scavenge my fridge. But there is a promise of drop in temperatures dis weekend, being hopeful!
Cheers!!!
PS - In the second pic you might notice some browning of the edges, that is owing to baking the custard without covering it, if you steam the pudding, it will not occur.
I love these custards I could all 10..lol
ReplyDeleteLol, yes it's a favourite in our home too. My hubby can easily compete with you for those 10 ;)
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