Serves: 24
Total Calories: 324

1/2 cup Dessert Masala
1 quart half and half
1 teaspoon coarsely ground green cardamom seeds
1 cup sugar, or to taste
2 drops rose essence
2 to 3 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
18 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 4 squares

1. Prepare the dessert masala. Then, in a large, heavy wok or saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring and scraping the sides of the wok often, until the milk is reduced by about half, 25 to 35 minutes. Mix in the cardamom seeds, sugar, rose essence, and all but 1 tablespoon of the dessert masala, and remove from heat.

2. Heat the oil in a large wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F to 350°F on a frying thermometer or until a piece of bread dropped into the hot oil rises to the top after 15 to 20 seconds. Add as many bread squares as the wok can hold at one time without crowding, and fry until golden. (This will happen almost instantly.) Transfer to paper towels to drain.

3. In a large flat-bottomed serving dish, arrange 24 of the fried bread pieces side by side in a single layer. Spoon a little of the thickened half-and-half mixture over each piece. Top each with another piece of fried bread and spoon some half-and-half over once again. Repeat one or more time, using up all the bread pieces and the half-and-half mixture, making a total of 3 layers. (The pudding may seem a little watery at first, but the bread will absorb all the sauce as it cooks.)

4. Garnish with the reserved dessert masala, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the dish, and refrigerate at least 4 hours until chilled. Serve straight from the dish, or remove the pieces, keeping the stacks intact, and arrange them on another plate.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 24
Total Calories: 324
Calories from Fat: 211

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* Desserts
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