Steamed Pudding

Steamed Pudding

Serves: 5 – 6

You will need

½ cup (100 g) chopped dates (without seed)

½ cup (100 g) chopped good quality raisins

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup (100 ml) very hot water

1 cup (200 g) all purpose flour (maida)

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cooking soda (baking soda)

Butter paper

Pudding mould

Method

Sieve twice all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. Keep aside.

In a wide bowl, mix chopped dates, raisins with sugar, butter and very hot water. Mix gently with a tablespoon.

Add sieved ingredients (flour) and mix well until all the ingredients well blended.

Final procedure:

Pour mixture into pudding mould or flat bowl and cover this with aluminum foil or grease proof paper.

Steam in pressure cooker ( without weight ) or in a steamer for one hour on a medium heat until done (or skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and also it leaves from the sides of the pan / brown in color)

Unmould and serve warm or cool ( Place a plate on top of the custard bowl and carefully flip it upside down ).

For custard sauce:

1 cup (200 ml) hot milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon cornflour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

In a wide bowl, beat egg with corn flour and sugar until creamy. Add hot milk. Mix well.

Cook over a double boiler ( double boiler -a pair of saucepans, one of which fits above and partly inside the other: food is cooked in the upper one by water boiling in the lower and it helps even cooking ) till it starts thickening ( till it coats the back of the spoon slightly ). Keep the heat low . Approximate cooking time 10 - 12 minutes. Remove and keep aside to cool for 15 minutes. Add vanilla essence and mix well. Gently pour this thick custard sauce over pudding.