Plum pudding is a delicacy served at Christmas dinners in countries such as the UK and Ireland. It tastes exactly similar to plum cake, which is an inseparable part of the celebrations. Prepared by the steaming method, plum pudding is a dish that pairs well with desserts like ice cream.
Ingredients
½ cup refined flour (maida)
1 cup powdered bread crumbs
2 numbers of cardamoms
2 numbers of cloves
1 small piece of cinnamon
½ nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup + ¼ cup sugar
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 eggs
125 grams of frozen butter
½ cup raisins
½ cup dates
½ cup tutti frutti
¼ cup cherry
1 tablespoon ginger
½ cup cashew nuts and almonds
Preparation
Melt half a cup of sugar in a thick-bottomed pan
When it turns brown, add half a cup of water and boil
After the sugar dissolves, add orange juice and boil again
Add raisins, dates, cherry, tutti frutti (Any other dry fruit can also be added) and ginger
When the fruits are fully cooked and the contents of the pan become dry, switch off the flame and add the finely sliced nuts
Keep aside the pan for cooling
In a blender, powder cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg along with the refined flour
Sieve the powder
Add baking powder, bread crumbs, one-fourth cup of sugar, and grated orange peels to the sieved powder and mix properly
Freeze the butter in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, grate it, and add it to this powder
Blend the butter and the powder carefully with hand, similar to the making of Kerala’s own ‘puttu’ (rice cakes)
Add two eggs and mix with the hand thoroughly
Then add the dry fruits kept aside and blend it
Apply a layer of butter on the tray in which the pudding is to be prepared and keep it in the freezer for five minutes
Fill three-fourths of the tray with the pudding mixture and cover it with a butter paper, which should be pressed down
Spread an aluminum foil paper on top and steam the mixture
For steaming, fill one-fourth of a pressure cooker with water after placing the rack
Keep the pudding tray over the rack and close the pressure cooker with the lid after removing the whistle
Switch on the flame and when steam is emitted vigorously, reduce the flame to a minimum
Cook on low flame for 90 minutes
Open the pressure cooker when it cools
The pudding will be ready in the cooker
