Sumayya Usmani's Bejewelled Parsi Wedding Custard
Custards are not really a typical Pakistani dessert, but this Zoroastrian/Parsi celebratory one is called a custard and is flavoured with nutmeg and cardamom and topped with dried fruit, nuts and rose petals. It is eaten mostly at wedding parties, but sometimes at the end of a Sunday meal.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 litres 2 pints/6 cups whole milk
- 200 ml 7 oz/scant 1 cup condensed milk
- 200 g /7 oz/generous 1 cup caster sugar
- 4 eggs small
- 3 to 4 cardamom pods seeds removed and ground
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ghee or butter for greasing
To Decorate
- A handful each of whole cashews, blanched almonds, nely chopped pistachios, raisins, dried apricots and dried rose petals
Instructions
Method
- Bring the milk to the boil in a non-stick heavy-based saucepan. As soon as it is boiling turn the heat down to low and add the condensed milk and sugar. Stir for 15 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the milk is thick and sticky. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 110°C/220°F/gas mark 1 and grease a 20 x 15cm/8 x 6-inch baking dish. Using a balloon whisk, beat the eggs, vanilla, nutmeg and ground cardamom in a steel bowl until frothy.
- The milk should be tepid before you attempt to stir in the eggs. Slowly stir the eggs in and once it is all combined, pour into the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the custard is set and the top is brown.
- Allow to cool a little, then chill in the fridge for about 2 to 4 hours. Decorate with nuts, raisins, and rose petals to serve.
Notes
Recipe extracted from Mountain Berries and Desert Spice by Sumayya Usmani, published by Francis Lincoln, an imprint of The Quarto Group
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