Caramel Pudding (कॅरामेल पुडींग)

This pudding looks very difficult but is one of the easiest to prepare. There are different versions of this recipe on the net. I learnt to make this pudding after reading my friend, Ashwini's blog post. I modified it a bit - used 2 slices instead of 1 and used 1 egg instead of 2, as I was running short of egg.

Ingredients:
1/2 litre boiled milk
2 slices of bread, edges removed
1 egg
5-6 tbsp sugar
1-2 drops of vanilla essence
chopped cashew nuts for garnish

For caramel preparation:
2 tbsp of sugar

Servings:
4-5 people

Grind the bread slices in a mixer. Add bread powder and sugar to the milk. Stir well. Cover with lid and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.

I used pressure cooker utensil for the caramel preparation. You can use any steel vessel with flat base that fits fine in the cooker.

In a steel vessel, add 2 tbsp sugar and sprinkle little water over it. Keep it on low flame, stirring continuously. After about 1 minute, the sugar will slowly turn brown and start melting rapidly. Once the sugar has melted, turn the heat off and spread the liquid brown sugary syrup to uniformly coat the base of the vessel. Sprinkle chopped cashew nut over the syrup while it is still in liquid state. Keep the vessel aside for 10 minutes.

Next, whisk the egg and add it to the milk+bread+sugar. Mix well and pour it in the cooled down caramel vessel. Add sufficient water in the pressure cooker and transfer this mixture into the pressure cooker. Cover the steel vessel with lid. Do not use whistle while cooking. Steam this mixture for about 15 minutes on high flame. Check if the pudding is set by inserting a knife in the pudding. If it comes out clean, the pudding is cooked perfectly. If not, steam it for an additional 5 minutes.

Take the pudding off the heat and allow it to cool down to room temperature. Refrigerate the pudding for an hour. Take a flat serving dish and invert it over the steel vessel. Then quickly topple the steel vessel over the serving dish and give the vessel a gentle shake. The pudding will sit nicely on the serving dish, caramelised side on top.

Refrigerate further until it is served.

Stuffed Tomato (भरलेले टोमाटो)

 You can use different fillings for this recipe. I used paneer (cottage cheese) filling. Sweet corn cheese stuffed filling also tastes yummy.

Ingredients:
5 medium sized tomatoes
grated Cheese or cheese slices for garnish

For filling:
200 gm cottage cheese (paneer), cubed
1/4 cup green peas
2-3 spring onion stems, cut
1 medium capsicum
few broccoli or cauliflower florets
5-6 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp freshly grated pepper
2 tsp of oil

Servings:
3 people

Wash the tomatoes and carve out the top portion. Scoop out the seeds and juice inside them. Keep it aside. It will be used while preparing the filling.  In a kadhai, heat oil. Season with garlic cloves, Italian seasoning and freshly grated pepper. Add spring onion stems and saute for a minute Add all chopped vegetables, capsicum, broccoli, and green peas. Stir fry for 5 minutes. Now add the tomato pulp and the pieces cut out from carved tomatoes. Season with salt. Simmer for 10 minutes till the gravy consistency thickens. Add paneer cubes and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. You can use either stir fried paneer cubes or directly use freshly cut paneer cubes. The gravy should not be watery, it should have thick consistency.
Stuff carved tomatoes with the gravy. Seal the top of each tomato with grated cheese or 1/4 of cheese slice. Heat about 2 tsp oil in a flat pan. Season with mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add the remaining gravy. Transfer stuffed tomatoes to the pan, keeping them in vertical position, with base of the tomato touching the heated surface of the pan. Cover with lid and let it cook for 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally. The tomatoes should be partially cooked on steam.

Optionally you can also grill them in the oven instead of using a pan.