Shendie Maasi's Lagaan Nu Custard
Mum makes a smashing Lagaan nu Custard, packed full of egg and creamy goodness. Her custard is famous amongst our friends who ask her to bake it occasionally for their parties/functions. We even told the Indian caterer at my wedding in Australia, not to bother with the dessert as Mum baked her delicious custard instead for all our guests to enjoy. When my son was able to eat whole eggs, Mum used to make this for him (with less sugar) and boy would he enjoy it – typical Parsi boy!
I asked Mum if I could share her recipe, but she informed it is actually one of her best friend from catering college’s recipes! So, with my lovely Shendie Maasi’s permission, I am sharing her traditional Parsi dessert with you all: Shendie Maasi’s Rich Lagaan nu Custard. It is very easy and quick to prepare, but does take a while to bake on low temperature. Let me assure you the wait is definitely worth your while!
Serves 12
Preparation Time: 15 mins / Cooking Time: 3 hr 15 mins + chilling
Ingredients
7 eggs
¼ cup sugar
2 cups thickened cream
1 x 300ml can condensed milk
2 x 370ml cans evaporated milk
1 cup full cream milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp cardamom and nutmeg powder mixed evenly
2 pinches of salt
Method
Preheat oven to 180⁰C.
Beat the egg and sugar by hand until lightly fluffy and sugar has dissolved.
Add the other ingredients, lightly whisking to incorporate after each addition.
Pour into a deep 25 x 25 cm baking dish. TIP – The baking dish must be at least 10cm deep so the custard turns out nice and thick. Please note that a larger dish will lead to a thinner custard which will alter the cooking time.
Place dish on a baking tray lined with foil, and bake for 30 minutes near the top grill to brown/caramelise the surface. NOTE - If you have a fan grill setting, use that instead, and change to bake for step 7.
Cover dish with foil (shiny side inside), move it down to the middle of the oven. TIP – Hot custard can bubble out under the foil. To avoid a sticky mess on your oven, place dish on a tray to catch any juices.
Reduce temperature to 120⁰C and bake for 1- 2 hours until the custard is firm but still slightly wobbly. This will vary greatly for different ovens. Check at 30 minute intervals if making for the first time.
Leave to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to fridge for at least 4 hours until custard has completely cooled.
Even though this custard is firm, it is extremely silky smooth and rich. You can also serve with roasted crushed nuts on top.
GPW