Creating a blog was out of the question for a long time for me, as measuring everything in the kitchen was like biting into an eggshell. I enjoy cooking and don’t want to waste even a slightest bit of enjoyment in that small world of mine. But little did I know that everything will change, when my husband came home with the Oscar nominated film ‘Julie and Julia’( a real life story) where Julie Powell (part played by Amy Adams) challenged herself to make all the 524 recipes from Julia Child's cook book ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ and blogging all her experiences (The Julie/Julia Project). It was an inspiring movie. A few days later when we were discussing this casually with a friend of ours over tea…everything changed dramatically…..” How about you making at least half of it in one year? Not French but your own. 262 recipes that will inspire others and present it as a blog?” For a minute my mind traveled faster than light… With an experience as a helper in my mother in laws kitchen for 6 years followed by a three year everyday struggle to satisfy the palate of my foodie husband, if I cannot do it then why should I cook? But on the other side with an experience in English literature extending no more than expanding outline stories in English grammar class when I was 18 and two small kids that come in handy at times, will a commitment for the next one year work? Anyway my ‘cook's ego’ didn’t allow me to say no...

So my friends …here I am opening my recipe book, trying to perfect and present 262 recipes in the coming 365 days….A Challenge that will of course tastes good. Come.. Have a walk with me along my journey.. Cheering and inspiring….Forgiving and tolerating…Testing and tasting….for ‘A Tasty Challenge’

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Monday, April 11, 2011

Bread Pudding

Recipe No: 234
This is not the regular Bread Pudding where the main ingredient is Bread and the texture is like a softened French toast. Even though I like this traditional Bread Pudding, my dear husband is not a fan of that and so whenever I make it I will have to finish the whole thing alone, unless otherwise there are some friends over. So I went a few years back and thought about my Mothers Bread Pudding, which she used to make by steaming. The only difference in this recipe from hers is the addition of Nutmeg Powder (which I decided to use after talking to a relative) and the baking (instead of steaming). You will be surprised to see the ingredient list though, as it will give you an idea on how much it will taste like India.
Ingredients                                    Serves 6-8
  • Milk……………………......2 Cups (Warm)
  • Bread………………….......2 big slices (Remove the brown edges)
  • Sugar………………….......1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons
  • Eggs…………………….....2 Large
  • Nutmeg Powder…........1/8 Teaspoon
  • Cardamom Powder…..1/4 Teaspoon
  • Ghee………………………..1/2 Teaspoon
  • Cashew Nut pieces…...2 Tablespoons
  • Raisins…………………….1 Tablespoon
Method of Preparation
  1. Tear the Bread into pieces and soak it in  warm Milk. Let it stay for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375˚F/ 190˚C.
  3. In a blender, blend soaked Milk and Bread mixture together with Sugar, Eggs, Nutmeg Powder and Cardamom Powder for 30 seconds or until everything is mixed and blended well. Keep it aside.
  4. Heat Ghee in a pan on medium heat and fry the Cashew nuts.
  5. When it starts to brown along the edges, add the Raisins and continue frying till it plumps up. Remove from the fire and let it cool down a bit.
  6. Once cooled, add the fried ingredients along with remaining Ghee to the blended  Bread mixture and mix well with a spoon.
  7. Pour this into an oven proof pan. Place this pan with the Pudding mixture in a bigger pan with boiling Water. (Boiling Water should come half way up the pan with the Pudding.)
  8. Bake it in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the sides are well set and the middle is still soft.
  9. Once the Pudding is cooled, chill it in the refrigerator and serve cold after slicing  into desired shapes.
Notes:
  • Instead of baking it can be steamed. In a steamer it will take around the same time  to cook. But do take care to cover the top of the Pudding with a foil to avoid vapor from dripping. The browned top of the Pudding will not be there in this case.
  • Nutmeg Powder will take away the ‘egginess’ from the Pudding.
  • It is better to stop cooking the Pudding while the middle is still a bit wiggly as it will set in the Fridge.
  • If you don’t want to add Ghee, Cashews and Raisins it is perfectly okay too.
  • Caramel sauce goes very well with this pudding. You can use the same recipe that I used to make the Caramel for the Carmel filled Chocolate truffle, but increase the amount of Heavy Cream to ½ cup.
  • As per the amounts given here, the Pudding will be mildly sweet. Increase the amount of Sugar if you want more sweetness.
  • The double boiling method of baking will ensure even cooking and also prevents the Milk form curdling.


Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

5 comments:

sojo said...

Iam getting the nutmeg and cardamom taste.... oooo..thats heaven!!!

Vimitha Durai said...

Yummy pudding... Has been baked perfectly... Loved the browned texture...

Priya Suresh said...

Fel like having some,pudding looks out of the world..

Jaisy James said...

delicious pudding

My Kitchen Antics said...

that is a perfect slice..i never seem 2 get it right

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