CARAMEL CUSTARD PUDDING WITHOUT EGGS

Other day I went to my friend's home and got introduced to 'ready to make' packet of caramel custard pudding.  In fact, she gave me one packet to try at home.   My pudding was made in a jiffy and turned out to be delicious.   I must confess I had not tasted caramel custard before. I had this weird impression that caramel custard smells like raw eggs. Not really a baseless bias as strict culinary definition of custard is eggs and milk mixed and baked or stirred over low to medium heat until thickened.

The ancient Romans understood the binding capacity of eggs; they were the first to cook them with milk and honey into various custard like dishes.  When the Arabs brought cane sugar to southern Italy, France and Spain, they also brought their love of dessert custard.  Over the years, custard was used in pies, pastries and  sauces in Britain and other European countries and even countries and cultures influenced by them.

In the 19th century America availability of arrowroot, topioca and potato flour were used to give a pleasant smooth look to puddings.  The introduction of cornstarch in 1842 in New Jersey, USA, changed the custard pudding scenario for the better.  In 1844 in England, a pharmacist named Alfred Bird devised custard powder, a flavoured starch mix, for his wife who was fond of custard but was allergic to eggs.  Thus took the birth of modern day custard.  Even to this day Bird custard is a well recognised name brand.

 Indeed, I cooked the caramel custard pudding from the packet but I am one of those cooks who is never satisfied unless I try a dish from scratch.  Somehow I wanted to make this dessert without eggs.  So I started to make the same pudding with yogurt, milk and condensed milk and result was pretty good. I gave myself 98 percent marks when my self appointed food critique husband said this caramel pudding is even better than the boxed pudding you made other day. 

Here is the recipe for CARAMEL CUSTARD PUDDING.

Ingredients:

1 cup cold milk, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup condensed milk, 3 tsp custard powder, 10 -15 drops of vanilla essence, 1 cup of white sugar.

Method:

Take one cup of white sugar in a non stick pan. On medium heat cook this sugar by adding just two drops of water. When sugar melts and turns light brown, pour it in a pie mould.   Mix custard powder into 1/4 cup of cold milk.  Mix rest of the cold milk, yogurt, condensed milk, vanilla essence.   Now this mixture and custard and milk mixture should be well blended together.  Pour this in the same mould over the carmelized sugar.  Steam this pudding for 15 minutes.  Steam will harden it. After steaming, let it cool off for five ten minutes and put it in the refrigerator. Enjoy this yummy dessert.