GUILTY PLEASURES..

Ting-a –ling!!Ting- a-ling!!
As soon as I heard the sound of the brass bell ringing down the road , I knew that the Mithai seller was coming with his push cart.
’Ooh…Bombay mithai!!’
For those of you who haven’t seen or eaten Bombay mithai (poor suckers…you don’t know what you missed)..let me introduce you.
Bombay mithai or Madaamma pooda , as it is also called..is the original version of soan papdi, that sweet which mixes sugar with badam pista and cardamom. Soan papdi is nice, but nothing can compare with the taste of Bombay mithai.
When I was in school and college, these vendors used to come around, ringing their brass bells, nothing on their push carts other than a huge bell shaped glass jar, filled with fluffy white mithai. If you pay one rupee, you get a small cone of paper filled to the brim with Bombay mithai, sometimes even threatening to spill out …Nowadays, this is a rare sight. In cities, there are no Bombay mithai vendors. But here, in a small town like where I live, they can be seen occasionally, ringing their bells loud and clear.
And the taste…aah!! How can I describe the taste of it? Words won’t do justice to it. It melts in your mouth , filling it with the sweetness of sugar, sometimes..it is crunchy too.
I am sorry. I just won’t be able to properly give you an idea .
Anyway, yesterday when the Bombay mithai seller came, the kids were at school. So I bought some for myself and some for the kids. (like the good mother I am..ahem!!) I finished my quota in record time..and then started looking longingly at the mithai I had bought for the kids..
‘No...control yourself. are you a child , Reshma, that you have to steal the kids’ sweets?’
But finally I lost control and started on the other set too. Though it was wrong, I must tell you, the taste of that mithai was the most sinfully divine thing I’d ever eaten. The guilty pleasure must have added to the taste.
I consoled my conscience with the thought that what the kids don’t know won’t hurt them……(teehee!)
Now, what shall we make today? I can’t very well give you the recipe for Bombay mithai since I don’t know how it is made..so shall we go for a pudding?
Tender coconut soufflé is made from tender coconut water, which is kerala’s special drink. Sometimes, when tender coconut water is not available, I use coconut milk instead. Mind you, you must use thick coconut milk for that. The recipe with tender coconut water has a delicate and light taste. Perfect for after a heavy dinner, or to serve when we break our fast during ramzan.

TENDER COCONUT SOUFFLE

Ingredients:

Evaporated /condensed milk 1 tin(400 gm)
Tender coconut water 3 cups/tins
(tins meaning the tin containing evaporated/condensed milk)
China grass 1 packet(10 gm)
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
Milk ½ cup


Method:

1. Tear up the china grass into small pieces and soak in the milk in a saucepan.

2. Mix together condensed milk , tender coconut water, and vanilla essence in a blender.

3. Heat milk and chinagrass , stirring all the while, till the china grass has melted fully, and no trace remains.

4. Add to the blender and blend again for a minute.

5. This part is optional. If you have any tender coconut flesh available, spread thin slices on the base of a pudding dish.

6. Pour the mixed items onto this and keep in refrigerator for 1 hour till set.

7. Serve cold.

Tip: Once china grass has melted, it tends to set quickly, so you have to work fast after melting the chinagrass.