Caramel Custard

The French have their creme brulee and creme caramel.

Mention "caramel custard" to an Indian, and more often than not, eyes will shine and nostalgia will seep in.

This simple dessert originated during the heydey of the British Raj. The memsahib tried her level best to teach the natives how to make English steamed puddings. However, many of the cooks only knew how to make a floury version with lots of sugar and tropical fruits to liven it up like coconut, ginger and limes.

To this day in India, caramel custard is still served especially in the old gymkhana clubs where the "British" system for meals still holds forth.

How do you make this? All you need are eggs, milk, flavoring and.......Brown & Polson's Custard Powder! Simple recipe: mix custard powder with some milk. Boil remaining milk. Add combined mixture off the stove. Cook again for a few minutes and voila, it's done.

That's the easy version devoid of any flavor reminiscent of the trying time when the memsahibs tried in vain to knock some taste sense into their bawarchis.

Now my Mother's version is absolutely delicious and a dessert I ask for several times over when I visit her. Her custard is creamy, has a bite and is very flavorful. Rum, home-made orange rind and and other secrets are mixed in. When it is unmolded, it is a quivering beauty to behold.

We always eat it with lashings of thick cream, poached fruit, a tablespoon or two of Amaretto or rum and a dollop of condensed milk. Then it is off to heaven!