Caramel Pudding

My husband's favorite sweet dish and my MIL's specialty - "CARAMEL PUDDING".

Some call this caramel custard, some call it caramel pudding..whatever you call it, its a blissfully soft and spongy dessert with a sweet caramelised topping. Just perfect to end a hearty dinner with.

Trust me, this one dish, will leave your guests thoroughly IMPRESSED!

Here's how to make it...

 






 

Serves: 10 people (3 boxes)
Level: Medium

Ingredients -
For the Pudding mix - 
1 litre warm milk
6 eggs
7 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
1.75 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

For the caramel -
1.75 tblsp sugar
1 tsp water

Method:
Pudding mix: 
Step 1 - Break the eggs and beat them well till frothy. Keep aside.

Step 2 - Add sugar to the warm milk and stir well till all the sugar dissolves.

Step 3 - Add the beaten eggs and bread pieces to the milk. Stir well.

Step 4 - Add the vanilla essence. Keep aside covered for 10 - 15 mins. This softens the bread in the milk.

Caramel:
Step 1 - Add sugar and water to a flat bowl. Keep moving the bowl with the help of tongs over an open medium flame.

Initially, the sugar will start melting. Gradually it will start caramelising. Keep swirling the liquid around so it coats the entire bowl. When a deep brown color is reached, turn off flame and keep aside to cool for 5 mins.

Caramel pudding:
Once the caramel bowl cools down, pour the pudding mixture into it.

Steam this in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles.Remove when done and let it cool.

Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

Turn this pudding onto a dish before serving.

Serve cold...just out of the fridge.

Tips:
Preferably use a steel or aluminium flat bowl to caramelise the sugar. As we will have to put this bowl in a pressure cooker later.

After the whistles, open the pressure cooker as soon as all the steam escapes, else the pudding could get watery.

While turning the pudding onto a dish, run a knife around its edges to loosen the grip. This helps in releasing the entire pudding evenly on the plate.

Happy cooking everyone!

Honey Soya Chicken

A Chinese inspired chicken starter dish...and NO..it isint sweet. Honey just helps coat the chicken pieces better and gives a perfectly caramelised color to the dish.
Its just finger-licking good !!

Whenever I browse recipes in my book, and I come across this recipe..I start craving for it. So as you might have guessed by now, its a regular in my kitchen.

Heres the recipe for you to try...

Serves: 3 - 4 people
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
1.25 kg chicken, medium or small pieces pref. with bone
2.5 tblsp soya sauce
2.5 tblsp ketchup
2 tblsp ginger garlic paste
1.25 tblsp honey
1 tblsp green chilly sauce
1 tsp chilly powder
1 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients except oil. Mix well. Keep covered for minimum 1 hour.

Step 2 - Take a pan. Pour the oil in the pan, add all the chicken pieces, along with the marinade and let it cook covered for 10 - 15 mins, stirring occassionally. At this stage the chicken will let go of all its water and start cooking. Then when the chicken is almost done, cook it uncovered, till the sauce coats all of the chicken well.

Serve hot.

This dish tastes great with some mashed potatoes/fries and steamed veggies.
And no..I have not forgotten to add salt to the ingredients, your soya sauce will have enough of it. But you can add salt while cooking, if you think it isint enough.

Do let me know how you like it.

Happy cooking!