Mixed Fruit Custard பழக்கலவை கஸ்டர்ட்

Mixed Fruit Custard

 பழக்கலவை கஸ்டர்ட்

Ingredients: ( 4 to 6 servings)

Milk ( பால்) - 1/2 litre

Vanilla flavour Custard Powder ( கஸ்டர்ட் மாவு) - 3 tbsp

Sugar  ( சக்கரை)  - 1/2 cup

Mixed cut fruits ( பழக்கலவை)  - 1 to 1 1/2 cups

Cherry - a few to decorate ( சில ஸெர்ரி பழம்  ) 

Steps:

In a heavy bottom pan bring the milk to boil. Stir often and keep the flame in medium level.Add sugar and allow it to melt. Boil for 2 minutes on medium flame.

In a small bowl dissolve the custard powder with a few teaspoons of milk.Pour this into the boiling milk, stir clockwise continuously until it forms a uniform consistency. After a minute or two,switch off the blame and let it cook in the heat.

Keep aside and allow it to cool completely.

In a blender add the cut fruits and blend coarsely. Make sure it is coarse with tiny bits of fruits here and there. A puree will not be appealing in this dessert. 

Transform to the cooked custard. Mix well. Refridgerate and serve chilled with a cherry on top.

My Notes:

The word custard reminiscence the days in mid 70s when my mother makes this dessert for special lunch / dinner. No exotic fruits, just the seasonal fruits of apple or black grapes and ever available bananas.  It was the best I have ever tasted, still lingering, though I have myself made several times with various fruits and have had tasted many flavours made by my friends.

For this fruit custard, vanilla flavour custard powder is the best as it can gell 

In those days, a chilled dessert was a welcome change to a payasam, which is served regularly after special lunch especially with my nieces and their husbands. A regular item in the menu for the newly weds. :))

 As a child,I  remember that without a refrigerator the cooked custard was let to reach room temperature and chilled on a bowl of ice cubes that was bought from the shop.

I used to add fresh fruits cut into bite size. But at a gathering my friend Priti Chandra had prepared this way of blending mixed fruits ( canned ) and it was yummy with a combined taste of the custard and the coarse fruits together. Pineapple, papaya, lychee , longan, cherries etcc.. all goes in a canned fruit cocktail. But if you want to go for fresh fruits, please go ahead.