BAKED MALAI

Today, I really wished to share an old blogpost and jump onto a cleaning spree, Cristine has turned this 1150 sq.feet. space into a dumping ground.... torn, discarded clothes, towels, utensils.... I am weeping and cleaning one room at a time. Then there is a husband shouting at you saying it is not Cristine's fault, it is the lack of proper instructions on my part. Really it is, I see myself busy getting hundreds & thousands of viewers to the blog when my home turned into a garbage bin. Now that I am back in to the track, I am  confused where to start from... Harpic has spoilt my hands, but the toilets are shining... happy I am! I cannot blame the husband.... it is I who told him that I do not want money, I do not want you to sit at one place and stagnate! Saying so, I just wish to put through a message to some beautiful people that if you want the husband to have dinner with you everyday at 7pm -8pm, accompany you to the supermarket whenever you wish to, follow the routine of dining with you in a restaurant every weekend, you are restricting him from moving ahead... his career gets a setback. Well, every home has its own priorities and I should not poke my flat nose always, I do not earn a penny what almost all of you do! 

Grapes are sour you know... the husband is not there at home most of the time, since I am not a social being I do miss his presence! When he is there we do enjoy time together, with "jhalmuri & cha".... wife gets bitter gourd chips for herself and he has to crack jokes on that.... yes every Saturday & Sunday is his "finer drinking days".... weekdays are for "beer".... the wife has to get it from the shop. He totally lost interest in two things .... Photography and Shopping .... specially of raw materials. He bought his first camera spending few hundred dollars long back... that got spoilt... then this present DSLR which made a tour of Turkey without being used. Every day he carried it and did not use saying... "wifey you are clicking... that is enough"..... Arey wifey cannot take photographs man, she just aims and clicks.... Then she has to keep many things in her head before a click.... "Boss wait wait.... delete that photograph where I am sitting under the tree.... Why wifey, you are looking good.... Arey nahi yaar.... you have to have certain qualifications to get clicked in that pose".... I did not go for further clarifications, no point, he hates social media.... opens it only on his birthday at one time.... did not even say a thank you to few good people who wished him late including his dear friend... Madhuchanda.... I told him from next year he should open it a day later and say thanks to all... that is decency! 

You see, even if I divulge few secrets to the man, he will not hurl abuses at me.... ours was not a marriage of convenience, neither that of romance but two good friends who came together taking one damn chance to get back into life and build a happy home. Doing that, I cook a family dessert like this BAKED MALAI, besides eating together "jhalmuri, cha" and watching "Sanju" in Netflix! The couple at this home  is a Ranbir Kapoor fan and the husband says he is going to rule. It is not the movie that you will miss if you do not watch .... but I liked always how in real life Sunil Dutt tried hard to get his "gone wrong" son back in to track, how his sisters stood strong beside him all through and how his present wife made him a calmer, homely person. A strong family bond saves a life for sure! I loved the last scene where he tells his son and daughter they should make their grandfather their idol and not their father. When I used to stay alone with my toddler for months, I watched his "Munnabhai" series to keep myself cherry-merry.... Sanjay Dutt & Arshad Warsi make an amazing pair...

Coming to BAKED MALAI, it was again a failed attempt which dumbos like me usually make. I was actually trying to prepare a "sandesh".... sweet that is authentic of my place of birth. I am 4yrs into blogging and yet not delivered an ode to my birth place! The problem is that there is no clear recipe of it in the internet, except for a vague one. I requested my veteran, family members to ask the oldest sweet shop there for the recipe.... the family is getting its sweet from that shop for 50-55 years now. They say they will never share the secrets of the recipe. All my cousins are scattered in different parts of India and abroad, the old people do not even know what a food blog is, how dear it is to my heart! From the vague hint I got, we are to boil the milk, collect the "shor".... malai / cream from the top and bake. The thing was not clear to me. Only the son drinks milk at this home, that too chilled.... 

I thought may be trying with fresh cream will help.... It did not work but we ended up into a soft, creamy dessert BAKED MALAI that has to be eaten chilled. What did I learn from this fault of mine? Not always does a short cut method gets us what we wish... working hard matters! However, the family and few guests liked it! If you are looking for a vegetarian combo meal to be served before this yummy, vegetarian dessert BAKED MALAI, my earlier blog post about SWEET PULAO WITH SPICED POTATO  is just perfect! Eat everything first, you can feel the guilt afterwards.... I usually do that.... there is only one life! You see the CURRY AND SPICE Blog is not meant for all these, I am yet to share "kanchakolar khosha bata" or "chingri-kumror bati chochori".... "kabhi kabhi karna parta hai".... certain commitments are made without applying any condition!

INGREDIENTS : 

FRESH CREAM : 4TIN [I always buy Nestle, Bulla is better?]
SUGAR : 11/2TBSP
BLACK CARDAMOM SEED : 1/3TSP
DRY FRUITS & NUTS TO GARNISH

PROCEDURE :

After I failed in my attempt, I felt there definitely have chena / paneer in the sweet. Like my baked sandesh recipe is somewhat near to what I was trying to get on that day!

Anyway, the tins were cut... haha!

Now, pour all the content on a big bowl. Add the sugar and cardamom seeds, stir & mix. 

Pour the entire content on a bake proof bowl. Tap lightly on the kitchen counter and use the back of your spoon to level atop. Show your power of banging on your husband if he refuses to gift you jewelry and saree!

I preheated my convection mode microwave at 200*C.

I placed the low wired tool inside and placed the bowl atop.

I baked it for 12-15 minutes at 200*C.

I did not get what I wished for, but this is something tasty & good that is not to be regretted! We liked the thin crust outside and the soft creamy texture below it. Once cold, I set it to chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. 

I took out the bowl and garnished it with chopped pistachios.