When most people are making resolutions for 2015 to up their intensity of staying fit and are trying their best to stick to it, this post may some what come as a damper. But hey, such things have to be shared so that you don’t crucify yourself with guilt. I remember making an egg pudding on the night of Islamic New Year and distributed a portion of it amongst my neighbors. Sharing what we cook with people who come from other countries, having separate set of traditions to follow or are believers of another faith; is an ultimate way of building relationships – it’s your way of spreading out your culture, your conventional dishes and asking them to be a part of it. Which they will delightedly, and in return you may get offered with goodies that are long established in their homes. In a country where we live away from family, don’t you feel it is fairly important to maintain a camaraderie with people living close by? I am glad to have found neighbors who are supportive. And well, sometimes we just need an adult-to-adult talk to dodge life googlies!
On another note, I have a self-confessed sweet tooth. I can never imagine a complete meal if the dessert is missing on the menu and one of them that I have grown up eating off my mom’s hands is this egg pudding drowned with sweet saffron strands. Most of the times when we had guests over or simply craved for something sweet, she would crack some eggs, whisk it up with milk in her aluminium container and put it on the gas on a steamer by placing the bowl in a water bath which later went into the refrigerator for a couple of hours after being thoroughly cooked because like most puddings, it is best served when chilled. She’d slice them in squares and place in one of her decorative crockery at the center of the thaal (a big metal plate) to be scooped out by another 7-8 people from one single plate/bowl before we commenced our dinner, like in any Bohri household. The frequency with which the pudding was prepared has gone down considerably with sugar problems erupting in my mom’s home but it still remains as one of the most remembered and cherished sweet dish of my budding years.
Let me be honest here. Cooking the pudding over the stove-top scares me to no end and that is why I prefer using my oven which I know will never fail me. I stick the dish with the pudding mixture in an oven for around 40 – 45 mins or upto an hour (depending on the recipe) and carry on with other chores in the kitchen without worrying if the water will enter the pudding or if the water will boil over. It’s very unlikely that it may happen, but I have realized steaming is really not my cup of tea. Also, if you have been reading through the blog, you may notice that I sometimes tend to find an easy way through conventional cooking because lets face it – with a child running around the house or clinging to your dress constantly urging you to entertain him, you may want to finish off the house work as quickly as possible.
This recipe for Saffron and Egg Pudding is very easy to whip up with minimum ingredients and you can also make these in fancy individual bowls to serve at parties or get togethers which I haven’t yet done but assuming it would look classy.
Recipe.
Ingredients :
- Eggs – 4 large, beaten
- Evaporated Milk – 3 small cans
- Saffron – a few strands, crushed
- Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
- Sugar – 1/4 cup or less
- Nuts – a handful, chopped or sliced (optional)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees Celcius. In a mixing bowl, whisk together beaten eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, cardamom powder and a few strands of saffron. Pour it into a deep baking dish ensuring that pudding has a good height. Cover it with an aluminium foil and let it go into the preheated oven on a baking tray. Remove the foil past 30 mins, sprinkle the nuts (if using) and let it cook for another 20-25 minutes till you know that the pudding has set from the sides but the center will still remain a little wobbly. Chill in the refrigerator for atleast 2 hours before serving. Slice and serve.
