Diplomat Pudding – My Favourite Dessert

Foodie Memories of My Navy Days

DIPLOMAT PUDDING – My Favourite Dessert

(A Cold Dessert)

By

VIKRAM KARVE

The Navy is a good place for a Foodie – especially if you are an Officer.

As a Naval Officer – you get the best of delicious food from a variety of multinational cuisines in Navy Wardrooms, afloat and ashore.

I always took special interest in seeing the dishes being cooked in Ship’s/Wardroom Galleys – and – since I have a “sweet tooth” – I was especially interested in Desserts (or “Puddings” – as we call them in the Navy).

Dear Reader: Here is the recipe for one of my favorite wardroom desserts – “Diplomat Pudding” aka Diplomate au Bavarois aka “Cream of Diplomatic Pudding”.

(There are many versions of the recipe for Diplomat Pudding – I shall give the Navy Recipe which is remarkable in its simplicity – easy to cook – since – on a Naval Ship – cooking has to be simple and easy)

RECIPE – DIPLOMAT PUDDING

Ingredients and Cooking Devices

Milk – Half a Cup (150 ml)

Egg – One

Sugar – 5 Tablespoons (60 gm)

Fresh Fruit (Mixed) – 200 gm

Jelly Crystals – 50 gm (One Packet)

Fresh Cream – 75 gm (Half a Cup)

Vanilla Essence - 2 drops

Hot Water – One Cup (250 ml)

Oven – To Bake the “Custard”

Refrigerator (or Ice) – To “Set” the Pudding

Cooking Method

1. Boil the Milk and keep warm.

2. Beat the Egg and Sugar.

3. Add warm Milk into the beaten Egg.

4. Blend in the Vanilla Essence.

5. Pour into a Baking Dish and bake in a moderate temperature till the custard is set (keep a watch on the oven till the mixture sets into a custard and browns a bit – it should take around 20/30 minutes)

6. Remove the baked custard and let cool.

7. Cut the Fruits into small cubes and arrange on the baked custard.

8. Pour half of the Cream on top of the baked custard.

9. Dissolve Jelly Crystals in hot water.

10. Set the Jelly slightly and spread over the Fruit.

11. Whip the remaining Cream with some powdered Sugar till fluffy and adorn/decorate the Pudding.

12. Cool in Refrigerator for some time and serve the “Diplomat Pudding” cold.

Dear Reader – Isn’t it a really simple recipe…?

Here is a picture of Diplomat Pudding aka “Cream of Diplomatic Pudding” 

Diplomat Pudding

Happy Eating…!!! 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
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Disclaimer:

1. These is my experimental recipe. Please do your own due diligence while cooking the recipe. 

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

Baking Made Simple – How to Bake a Cake

BAKING MADE SIMPLE

HOW TO BAKE A CAKE
Mathematical Formula Recipe

By 

VIKRAM KARVE 

Mathematical Formula Cake Recipe

 

“ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ” 

Hey – what’s that...?

No – it is not what you think – it’s not a secret code or some mathematical formula.

This mathematical ratio exemplifies the recipe for a simple cake – probably the first thing I learnt to cook.

 

It’s simple. 

Take ¾ [three-fourth] Cup of fresh Butter.

Cream the butter till fluffy with your hand.

[Instead of butter you can use Margarine or Dalda (Hydrogenated Oil) if you prefer]

Add 1 (one) cup of Sugar to the butter. 

Whisk vigorously till the sugar and butter blend smoothly.

Whip 3 Eggs till they fluff up into peaks.

Fold the three well beaten eggs into the butter-sugar batter mixture carefully.

Beat the mixture with your hand till the batter emulsifies nicely.

 

Sieve 1 ½ [one and a half] cups of Maida (flour) with a teaspoon of baking powder and keep ready in a plate.

 

In a glass – pour a generous “tot” of full-bodied Dark Rum (like Old Monk Rum)

The darker and mellower the Rum – the better it is – as it will have more caramel content – which will impart an inimitable heavenly bitter-sweet flavour – blended with the richly aromatic enveloping tang of molasses.

 

Now start adding – by the tablespoonful – the sieved Maida (flour) to the butter-sugar-egg emulsified batter.

Gently fold in and smooth the flour into the batter with your fingers.

At the same time – alternately – from time to time add a few “drops” by the teaspoonful of the full-bodied Dark Rum to the batter.

You must taste the batter by licking your fingers from time to time – rolling on your tongue – sampling and tasting at every step – till you get the right creamy consistency and taste.

I love to mix in a wee bit of powdered spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or cloves.

For Fruit Cake – get some raisins, orange rind, dried fruit pieces and petha – and soak these in a glass of Rum for a few hours – till the fruit soak in the Rum – and then – gently blend in the Rum Soaked Fruit to the batter. 

This will prevent the Fruit from sinking – and will also release aromatic flavorful Rum vapour into the cake while it bakes – and make the cake rise up well.

You must ensure a proper dropping consistency of the batter by appropriately balancing the liquid Rum and solid Maida (flour).

Innovate as per your mood and taste – and add a few drops of vanilla essence to remove what remains of that “eggy” taste.

Cream the batter with your hands till super smooth.

 

Now bake your cake in an oven at moderate temperature (180 Celsius) for around 30 to 40 minutes till done.

(Test with a clean dry knitting needle or small knife – poke the needle or knife into the cake and if the cake is done the needle or knife will come out dry).

The Rum will guarantee that the cake does not flop – and – the hot spicy alcohol vapour escaping from the cake will perambulate within the oven – and this will impart a tantalizing aroma and enticing fragrance to the cake.

 

This cake tastes best when eaten hot – as the blissful fresh spicy hot sensuous vapours overwhelm your olfactory and gustatory senses with their zesty fragrance and rich full-bodied flavour.

 

This is the first recipe I learnt from my mother – when I was a small boy.

The “Rum” innovation came a bit later – after I joined the Navy. 

I prefer to use stainless steel katories (vaties) – but you can use standard size cups if you want. 

Don’t be too finicky about precise proportions.

Sample the batter – taste at every step – and maintain dropping consistency of the mixture.

And – of course:

Do Your Best – and – Trust the Rum to do the rest...!!!

If you prefer – try using Brandy instead of Rum – for a different flavour.

 

I bake the cake in half an hour and it tastes heavenly.

Baking a cake is so simple – isn’t it..?  

To recap.

For a 3 Egg Cake:

Just remember the simple formula – “ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ”  

¾ cup Butter 

1 cup Sugar 

1 ½ cup Maida (Flour)

For larger cakes – just use multiples of this breathtakingly simple formula. 

Happy Baking.

Do remember to tell us how your cake turned out and how yummy it tasted.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

I developed this recipe for baking a cake 50 years ago in the 1960s and I have posted this recipe online in my blogs many times - this recipe also features in my foodie book APPETITE FOR A STROLL - here are some recent urls where I have posted this recipe : http://creative.sulekha.com/baking-mathematics-1-1_455611_blog  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/05/how-to-bake-cake-mathematical-formula.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/12/how-to-bake-cake-recipe-for.html  andhttp://creative.sulekha.com/baking-a-cake-made-simple_488539_blog and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/04/cooking-for-nerds-how-to-bake-cake.html etc

My Favorite Cool Drink – “Bajirao Mastani”

Yesterday afternoon I enjoyed a fiery Kolhapuri Style meal for lunch – and then – I rounded off the hot spicy meal with a cool soothing Mastani.

MASTANI

PUNE’S SIGNATURE COOL DRINK

By

VIKRAM KARVE 

MASTANI – PUNE’S SIGNATURE COOL DRINK

What is a perfect end to a rich and heavy Mughlai Meal...? 

A Kulfi...? 

Well – I prefer a cool refreshing Falooda. 

I nostalgically remember the the ice cold Shahi Gulab Falooda I always had at Shalimar in Bhendi Bazar after devouring my favorite tandoori raan masala and other spicy rich non-veg delights. 

And – what is a perfect end to a spicy Kolhapuri Meal...? 

It is a “Mastani” – no doubt about it – a cool, refreshing, lip-smacking Mastani to quench your fires and perk you up with its blissful sweet cool revitalizing effect. 

“Mastani” is to Pune what “Falooda” is to Mumbai.

You get Mastani at many places in Pune. 

The first time I tasted Mastani (when I was a small boy) was at Kawre Cold Drink House near Ganpati Chowk off Laxmi Road – but now – I feel that their Mastani isn’t as good as before.

Punekar’s have their favorites like Sujata Mastani in Sadashiv Peth – which is close to the “Kolhapuri” food district of Pune near Peru Gate.

But – I like the “Mastani” at Gujar Mastani House near City Pride Multiplex on Satara Road. 

At Gujar Mastani House – I order a “Bajirao Mastani”.

If you look at the menu – you will get confused – as there feature all types of fancy Mastani fortified with dry fruits and all sorts of rich high-calorie embellishments – which will in fact will make you feel heavy and slothful – rather than quench, stimulate, revitalize and perk you up. 

So remember the golden rule – in any menu card – the “signature” no-frills authentic item will always be at the top of the menu – least expensive in that class – so go ahead and order it. 

Here is a Picture of the “Bajirao Mastani” I relished just yesterday. 

Bajirao Mastani

The contents of the tall glass comprise an attractively appetizing looking and fragrant layered creamy milky liquid of increasing density topped with ice-cream – with a straw thrust vertically through.  

The glass is so full – that in order not to spill the stuff – you first sip through the straw a bit of the deliciously sweet pineapple syrup at the bottom – which feels heavenly as it mingles with – permeates – and overcomes – the spicy “Kolhapuri” aftertaste on your tongue. 

And – if you are just plain parched, dehydrated and thirsty – the first sweet sip itself is deliciously thirst-quenching. 

Then – you have small dollops of vanilla and pineapple ice-creams that adorn the crown. 

After that – you can savour the Mastani as you please – but I like to stir the contents into a creamy mélange – and spoon the delicious concoction onto my tongue – roll it in my mouth – and savor every drop – rather than hastily suck the liquid via the straw straight into my throat down the hatch.

The “Bajirao Mastani” at Gujar is pineapple and orange flavored and the small juicy pieces of pineapple at the end leave you with a tangy feeling.  

I don’t know if you get “Mastani” in Mumbai – or elsewhere. 

But next time you visit Pune – do enjoy a Mastani. 

Eat a “Kolhapuri” meal to your heart’s content – and end off with a Mastani.

Or – just have a Mastani if you are feeling parched on a hot summer day as a thirst-quencher. 

Do tell me – after enjoying a cool soothing glass of Mastani – didn’t you feel refreshed and perked up...? 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

Revised Repost of my Foodie Article written in the year 2006 and posted online earlier at url http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/02/mastani-punes-signature-cool-drink.html  and  https://vwkarve.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/mastani/  and  http://creative.sulekha.com/mastani-pune-s-favourite-thirst-quencher_409877_blog  etc