Eggless Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding! For as long as I can remember, this has been a favourite in our home. I think this carbs and sugar-laden dessert has the capacity to lift the lowest of spirits. Bread Pudding is also available at the various “Irani” restaurants that dot the Mumbai landscape. Bun-Maska, Omlette-Pav, Bread Pudding, and Chai rule at these quaint eating joints, at least, as far as us eggitarians are concerned!

This is an eggless version of this Mumbai favourite.

How to Make Eggless Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1. White Bread Slices – 8
2. Milk – 250 ml
3. Sugar – 4 tbsp
4. Vanilla Essence/Extract – 1/2 tsp
5. Raisins/Kishmish – 8 to 10 (optional)

Method

1. Warm the milk and dissolve 4 tbsp sugar in it.
2. Add the vanilla essence and raisins to the milk.
3. Mix well.
4. Tear the bread slices into small pieces
5. Soak the bread pieces in the milk for about 15 minutes.
6. After the bread is well-soaked, stir the mix with a heavy spoon or ladle to mash the bread.
7. To a heavy bottomed vessel, add 2 tbsp sugar.
8. Over low to medium heat, melt the sugar. Do not add any water.
9. Hold the vessel with a pair of tongs and rotate the vessel gently to spread the melted, caramelising sugar so that it coats the bottom of the vessel.
10. Tilt the vessel and rotate it so that the sugar coats the sides too.
11. Turn off the heat and let the vessel cool for about 5-10 mins so that the caramel layer hardens.
12. Add the milk-bread mixture to the caramelised vessel.
13. Steam for 10 mins.
14. Let the bread pudding settle for about 30 mins.
15. Place a plate over the mouth of the vessel and quickly flip so that the vessel is upside down on the plate.
16. Tap the vessel gently to loosen the bread pudding.
17. Lift the vessel gently to have a perfectly formed bread pudding on the plate.
18. Cut into generous sized portions.
19. Serve the Bread Pudding warm.

Tips

• Do not add any water while making the caramel. If you do the sugar does not caramelise very well. In addition, the caramel layer remains runny and mixes with the milk-bread mixture.
• Do not add the milk-bread mix to the caramelised vessel while the caramel is still liquid. If you do that, the caramel will mix with the milk-bread mixture and you will not have a lovely caramel layer on the pudding.
• I steam my bread pudding in a pressure cooker without the weight.