Summer Magic Mango Pudding

Growing up every summer break us kids were packed off to visit both our grandmothers in Kerala.

My mom's mother Ammachi is a real force of nature, a true matriarch and the center of her large and growing family. She is 85 and by the grace of God, has survived cancer, a fall that left her needing a back surgery and various other ailments, only to emerge stronger every time. I treasure letters she wrote to me in her very neat handwriting, while I was in college where she would keep me up to date about what most of my 32 cousins were up to. Summers at her house meant endless games of hide and seek with my numerous cousins, going fishing, and trips to the "thottams" with my uncles who pointed out interesting plants and trees, and loading the back of the gypsy with pineapples.

My dad's mom Ammama is gentle and soft spoken, and summers with her meant following her around her small farm, feeding cows and petting calves on their wobbly legs. I aways get a smile on my face when I picture her in her spotless white sari, a line of white geese following her everywhere as they have since they were goslings, much like we kids did. She has an amazing green thumb and many plants and trees like mango, mongustan, coconut, nutmeg, gooseberry, papaya flourish under her care. For me the most vivid memory of summer is a house filled with the aroma of mangoes. Mangoes everywhere, under the stairs, in every corner, like plump green babies swaddled in straw, to ripen into the glorious, golden lusciousness that is a magic mango.

Mangoes are made even more magical in this wonderful 3 layered mango pudding.When the summer heat gets to you, I highly HIGHLY recommend that you eat a large spoonful of this cool and refreshing dessert.

The wonderful part about this pudding is that it is very easy to make but looks quite complex and you could also make this with almost any other fruit or even store bought fruit juice! I challenge you to make this with orange, raspberries, pineapple, strawberries..your imagination is the limit!

Ingredients

(Substitute milk with soy milk and omit the butter or use earth balance butter substitute instead to make this vegan and dairy-free)

• 10 Marie Biscuits / 5 graham crackers
• 1 1/4 stick unsalted butter (140 grams)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp Custard Powder or Vanilla pudding powder
• 1 cup Mango puree or use other fruit juice like orange, strawberry etc. Store bought juice like Tropicana works too

Method

Layer 1: Biscuit/ Graham cracker layer

1. Crush the biscuits using a rolling pin until coarsely powdered (not too finely must have the texture of breadcrumbs). Put it in a glass microwaveable dish/ baking dish preferably glass so you can see the pretty layers! 
2. Mix well with  2 ounces of butter ( 4 tablespoons of butter or 1/2 a stick ) and 4 tablespoons milk until it becomes of mould able consistency.
3. Spread & pat well into a thin, even layer at the bottom of the pan
4. Microwave on high power and heating & baking combination or bake in oven on a slow flame for 5-10 minutes.

Layer 2: Custard Layer ( you could also use boxed vanilla pudding mix instead)

1. Heat 1 cup milk in a sauce pan.
2. Stir 1 heaped tablespoon custard powder & 1 heaped tablespoon cornflour with 1/4 cup water till smooth.
3. Add this to the hot milk stirring continuously over slow flame until it thickens.
4. Add 3 Ounces ( 3 heaped tablespoons) of sugar
5. Add 2 Ounces ( 1/2 a stick or 4 tablespoons) of butter
6. Mix well until butter & sugar has melted into the thickened milk.
7. Allow to cool, then spread over the biscuit layer and chill in refrigerator for about an hour or until it sets

Layer 3: Fruit Layer

1. Mix 1 tablespoon custard powder & 1 tablespoon cornflour well to 1 Cup Mango puree /other fruit juice.Sweeten according to taste depending on fruit used.
2. Bring to a boil stirring continuously. Add 1 ounce butter ( 1/4 stick or 2 tablespoons)
3. Cool and spread over custard layer once it has set.
4. Put your feet up, take a bite and wish that summer never ends!

Verdict

Ease:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Taste: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This dessert recipe has been in my family for years and was served at my parents wedding and other special occasions from baptisms to potlucks.It is a favourite with every generation. It is usually made with orange juice and I created this with mango puree instead to make it even more magical.

If you like this you should totally check out my other favourite cupcake & cake recipes here

All my dessert recipes are here

All my favourite Vegan recipes are here

I am sending a plate of my Magic Mango pudding to What's for lunch honey?'s monthly mingle "Special Sweet Treats" hosted at theapartmentkitchen.net