Arrowroot Milk Pudding with Dragon Fruit Topping

In most Kerala homes arrowroot milk or koova kachiyathu is a regular thing. It would be in a smoothie consistency. Anytime someone had a tummy upset, or was sick etc arrowroot cooked with just milk minus any richness was served. 

If you have ever put braces then you know the struggle when the teeth alignment has changed. My God! you just cannot eat anything, biting even the softest fruit like a banana would give shooting pain. I literally became soo thin that my family started to worry about my health condition. I survived on semi-solid diet for the first few weeks and this was one major item in that list.

I used to speak mostly in hand gestures in order to avoid the embarrassment of lisping and my friends did everything to make me speak. :)) 

Soon my neighbor put braces and she came home one day and we were in the same condition and understood each other's difficulty well. This was one easy alternative I could help her out with. We both survived on this and Ragi porridge for a long time.

Everyone around us was very much entertained in those days, seeing both of  us lisping and talking which the others could not make sense of. Our moms were kind of happy the girls are having something at least.

My God we were so glad to take off the braces after 2 long yrs.

This is simply the thickened version of the Koova Kachiyathu, dragon fruit is just for decoration u can use any fruit you like or jams- Vanilla Pudding with Fruit Jam Topping.  Other arrowroot recipes are Arrowroot Halwa. Perfect  food to have when u have braces that I can assure u. 

Ingredients: (yields around 5-6 dessert bowls )
For Pudding:
Whole milk -2 cup
Condensed milk - 1 cup
Heavy cream -1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Cardamom - 2 pods powdered freshly
Arrowroot powder - 2 tbsps
Topping:
Dragon fruit - 1/2 of 1 or as required
Sugar - 4 tsps

Method:
Mix  water (at room temperature)and arrowroot powder until smooth. Keep the ramekins/dessert glass ready on the counter.
Heat a wide mouthed pan adding all the milks and arrowroot mixture. Cook it on a very low flame stirring continuously (thickening process takes few mts only) when the whole thing thickens and starts clumping remove from flame and immediately pour into serving glasses or ramekins.(**Work very fast here) Allow it to come to room temperature. Put small squares of cling wrap touching the pudding so a thick skin layer is not formed.
Chill for 4-5 hours for it to set. I put it in the freezer for an hour then once set brought it down to the refrigerator.
Before serving arrange the fruit and mint leaves on top.
For Topping:
While the dessert is chilling make a simple syrup by boiling on a low heat half cup water and 4 tsps sugar when  the syrup thickens switch off heat allow it cool.
Cut off a thin layer of skin from the dragon fruit keep some pink skin (its edible)and gently dice the fruit and keep it immersed in the simple syrup. Lightly drain off with a slotted spoon  and top it on the serving dish.

Ideal make ahead dessert also #Nobake dessert.
*Arrowroot powder is available in Wholefoods, Walmart and Indian stores.

Eggless pudding!

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