I had a taste of this creamy velvet-rich pudding with caramelized nuts and butter at my neighbour and collegemate Saira Kurian’s home around 15 years back in Qatar and from then on, it has stayed in my recipe book. Easy to make and a crowd stealer, this one is sure to impress.
Makes 10 individual servings
Soak 10 gms china grass/agar agar in water 
Boil milk, sugar,condensed milk and 1 cup water 
The thick cream sachet that i used 
Thick cream – 1/2 cup 
In a hot pan, add sugar and butter. 
When it starts to become slightly brown in colour, add the baking powder and nuts 
Once it is brown and starts sticking to the nuts, remove and spread on a plate. 
Ingredients:
Condensed Milk – 1 tin
Water – 1 cup
Milk – 2 1/2 cups
Vanilla essence – 1/4 tsp
Sugar – 6 dessert spoons
Thick cream – 1/2 cup
China grass/Agar Agar – 10 gms
Water to melt china grass – 1 1/2 cups
For caramelizing the nuts:
Cashewnuts/Almonds/Walnuts chopped – 3 dessert spoon
Butter – 1 dessert spoon
Sugar – 2 dessert spoons
Baking powder – a pinch
Preparation:
Mix condensed milk, water, milk and sugar in a pan and heat it. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and take it off just before it starts to boil.
Wash china grass, cut it into small pieces and soak it in a bowl of water (1 1/2 cups). Next, take a small pan and on a low flame, melt the china grass until it is completely dissolved. Strain it and add it to the milk mixture. Add vanilla essence to it.
Place the 1/2 cup of thick cream in another bowl and add a ladle or 1/2 cup of the (milk and china grass) mixture to the thick cream and stir it well. When it is combined well with the thick cream, pour it into the remaining (milk and china grass mixture) and stir it well. Do not boil or place it on fire.
It is ready to be poured into individual ramekins or pudding moulds/bowl. Keep it in the refrigerator for 1 -2 hr and it will set. Top it with caramelised nuts and serve it chilled.
To serve, pass a butter knife around the moulds to loosen the pudding from around the sides. Invert the pudding onto a serving plate. Top it with coarsely powdered nut brittles/caramelised nuts.
To make the caramelized nuts:
Heat a pan. Reduce the flame and add butter. When it melts, add the sugar and baking powder and keep stirring until it becomes slightly brown in colour. Now, add in the chopped nuts and stir it again for another 3 -4 minutes. When the sugar and butter start to coat the nuts, switch off the flame and spread it on a plate and let it cool for 30 mnutes. The nutty brittle will be ready. Coarsely powder it when it becomes cool.
Note: If you are running short of time, you may chose to skip caramelizing the nuts and use store bought chikkis. You can also use powdered panakalkandu (Powdered palm sugar) which is equally awesome and sprinkle over the pudding.
Meal Haven 