Thursday, May 10, 2007

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Three, or is it four, MBPs (Coffee's event) have gone by but I haven’t participated for various reasons, mainly because I was too lazy for the hard work that the themes demanded but as it was sweets this time, I decided I would try the simplest dessert I came across and set about making this.



That it turned into something else is entirely my mistake, or my genius, as you like it. A misunderstanding of 1 cup evaporated milk and 1/3 cup sugar as 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk is probably what changed the nature of the dessert, not to mention the fruit mix that went into it.

Nandita had recommended two cups of mango puree. I had a variety of fruit but a single unit of each – one small mango, one big pear, one medium golden apple. I’m the impatient sort, and there are so many more events I want to participate in, so without waiting to buy more mangoes, I pureed everything into a reluctant two cups.

That done, I proceeded to open a can of condensed milk, patting myself on the back for using up stuff from the larder, but that was a short-lived joy, as I discovered I’d had this can since 2004!

I soldiered on gamely – after all, who said we had to eat what we made for MBP as long as we linked to the host and the original recipe and posted a photograph –whether it went into me or my dustbin would be my secret! I pulled the ring on the can and out burbled a toffee- or was it jaggery- coloured substance! It didn’t smell but there was no way I was sullying a potentially good (ok, tolerable) photograph with this gook! Oh no, the trash can received its first bit of refuse for the day, the grocer down the street got an order for home-delivery of a tin of condensed milk (and half-a-dozen eggs as incentive), and I settled down with a murder mystery.

Two hours later, doorbell rung, transaction made, I take the condensed milk into the kitchen, and horror of horrors, things have changed since 2004! The manufacturer has decided it’s cheaper to dispense with convenient packaging (read ring) and go to the old ways, so there I was, hammering one of my biggest and best knives into the can with the handle of my Oxo vegetable peeler. Serves me right – I finally want to take a stab at MBP and this is what it entails!

Well, after the milk came sputtering out of the various gashes I managed to make, I mixed it with the puree, the 1–tbsp-china-grass-melted-in-200-ml-water solution and tenderly ladled it into ramekins, the rest into a larger bowl and went off for a much needed, long and leisurely bath.

Unhappily, the pudding didn’t set. I hadn’t expected much by way of colour, of course, as the puree’s colour got diluted by the milk, but it was still like baby food. One ramekin went into the freezer. After I returned from work, I went straight to the fridge and poked another ramekin gingerly! Tough luck, it remained soft. But the freezer had yielded results!

Dinner followed, and it was time for the photography session. A mango was diced, a plate produced, the stuff decorated, pictures taken, lessons learnt! It can only get better next time!

19 comments:

  1. it is the trying that counts:):) i think the condensed milk takes a lot of time to set or it remains goo-ey. the dessert still looks delicious. accidental inventions in the kitchen are often yummy as this one. :)

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  2. Oh Sra I enjoyed reading every bit. After all who said we had to eat what we made for MBP haa..ha ha.
    You really write well I must have said this in all my comments. But I mean it .
    So ultimately how was the taste? Was it ok /good ? Look wise it is yummy.

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  3. Hahahaha......... Wonderful read!!

    So finally who got to eat it??? The dustbin or you???

    Thanks for the entry Sra! :)

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  4. Hey...sounds so much like me...:-)...but you are definitely a better version, sra...lazy that i am, would have given up when the condensed milk can turned out to be old ! hhehehe...:-)

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  5. ok first things first, what murder mystery was it?
    looks like ur culinary skills finally paid off err genius :)
    so u r one of those 'getting things delivered at home' kinds eh?
    good one sra, keep 'em coming...

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  6. At least you tried and looks great to me!It's ice cream and mangoes.What more you want?:)

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  7. that sounds like a potential milk shake. a really tasty one.

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  8. did u get to eat it or not ...Must have been yummy

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  9. Reena, yes. I'm glad it was edible, at least.
    Archana, yes, it was tasty, I only tasted it but the Spouse had seconds; so did a friend's Spouse! Thank you.
    Thanks, Coffee! Mostly other people ate it, it wasn't bad.
    Santhi, even I felt like giving up but what could I do with the puree? No way I was eating that all on my own!
    Richa, what a coincidence, I saw your comment just after leaving one on your blog. I'm reading a Laura Lippman mystery, No Good Deeds. Thanks!
    Asha, yes, it's rudimentary ice-cream, I guess.
    Bee, yes, but I think the condensed milk would make it v v heavy
    Deepa, it was okay, the others said it was tasty and the Spouse thought it was sapota/chickoo!!!

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  10. waaw that one looks simple , yummy and easy to make. what more can I ask for!! nice entry.

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  11. Hey SRA I was thinking of making Nanditha's mango pudding too!!!!.I was searching for a mango pudding and I found this one without eggs.
    Urs looks like ice cream... Loved reading the method u tried for this...so how did it taste .. did u guys like the taste???

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  12. Ha ha ha...You are so funnnyyyyyy :) True, who said we have to eat at all what we photograph :) Often when I am hyper and screaming "taste is not right", D chimes in with "does it look good, thats all you need anyway" :)

    Looks fabulous Sra, and should taste good to. My Ma would say "You use condensed milk, mangoes and all good things it would taste good even if you mix them and had them"

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  13. Sra,

    Thought it did not set hopefully it tasted good.Okka sari ma friend b'day ki custard thesatanu ani cheppanu, custard entha ki set kaledu. edi chooste a incident gurthu vachindi.

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  14. Sra, I can actually visualise you banging the life out of the can...haha...as for the dessert, looks ok to me, the taste must have been good...a good one...

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  15. A nice write up Sra. I love reading your post :) With condensed milk it must have tasted good. Sometimes it happens. But the picture is good i should say that. Viji

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  16. Mango, condensed milk? I love it!

    Paz

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  17. Sharmi, thanks!
    Prema, great minds think alike!
    Sandeepa, yes, that's true, if you like milk and sweet stuff! :) :)
    Sreelu, set avvaledani freeze chesanu. Otherwise it would have been like baby food!
    Sunita, I had to think of my peeler and my neighbours, in that order, so I couldn't bang too hard, LOL!
    Thanks, Viji!
    Paz, come over, I still have three ramekins left!

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  18. Sra, I read this two days back but did nt have time to comment on this...so thought of letting you know how much I enjoyed this funny narration. I really liked it, truly :)

    Keep up the good work:)
    Shn

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  19. Thank you, Shn! I will try!

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