Pista-Elaichi Pudding - Pistachio-Cardamom Pudding

I am sharing a post of one of the rich,tastiest and simple pudding with lots of a flavour of pistachio and a tint of cardamom  i.e Pista- Elaichi Pudding or Pistachio-cardamom pudding...I saw this dessert in one of the FB cookery page,but I changed it according to my taste..I made this dessert 2 or 3 weeks ago,but could not post it due to lack of time or maybe you can call it lazziness :P...At beginning, I used to post recipe daily excluding weekends..Now, I planned to limit posting the recipe in 2 or 3 days in a week,as it gives me relief and interesting and I don't wish to make it as a burden. There are few food photos that are saved in draft and which are yet to be published..Hope readers forgive me for not posting recipe continuously..Enough of blabbering,I don't wish to bore you of my introduction :D...Okay, Lets move straight to the recipe..Don't forget to try this at home :)

Recipe Source : here

     Ingredients

• Milk - 2 cups + 3/4 cup to soak pistachios
• Condensed milk - 1 tin
• Sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp
• Salt - a pinch
• China grass or Agar agar strands - 10 gm
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Pistachios ( shell removed) - 3/4  to 1 cup
• Pista-Elaichi Essence - 2 drops **
• Green Food colour  - 1 drop ( optional)
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• GOOD DAY Pistachio flavoured biscuit - 4 to 5 no.s ( you can use any biscuit of your choice)
• Pistachio flakes - few for decorating ( I forgot to add it)

       Method

• Soak pistachios in 3/4 cup of milk for 10 to 15 mins..Also soak china grass strands in 1/2 cup of water for 15 mins..

• In a sauce pan, add milk,condensed milk and sugar..Stir everything nicely and then ON the flame to lowest..It will prevent condensed milk to get burnt at bottom..Should stir in between..Boil it for few mins then OFF the flame...No need to wait till rolling boil..

• In a separate sauce pan,melt china grass along with soaked water at high flame till it melts..

• Immediately pour melted china grass through the strainer in milk mixture while hot...Stir well..Keep aside to cool completely..

• Take pistachios from the soaked milk and grind into powder..Then add milk little by little and make it into smooth paste..

• Add pistachio paste in milk-china grass mixture and stir..You will notice that pistachio paste will not dissolve in milk completely..Never mind,pour these mixture in a blender and blend thoroughly..Remember,this mixture should be completely cool before adding into the blender..

• Add drops of Pista-Elaichi Essence or Green food colour,cardamom powder, a pinch of salt and you can add few teaspoon of sugar if  sweet is not upto your level..Blend again for few seconds..

• Pour this mixture into a wet pudding dish and keep it in a freezer for 15 mins till half set..

• Add biscuits in a grinder and powder them finely..

• Pour the biscuit powder on the top of half set pudding and decorate it with Pista flakes on top of it ..

• Cover the top with cling film or plastic wrap and keep it in a refrigerator for 5 to 6 hrs till completely set..Or you can keep the pudding in a freezer for 1 hr and then keep it in a fridge for 1 hr in order to set pudding fast if you don't have time..

• Cut it into squares and serve cold..

      Notes

• Pista - Elaichi Essence is available in almost all the Supermarkets in Kerala..This essence is mainly used in milk shakes..If you don't have just ignore it..But it gives nice flavour to this pudding..

• Original recipe mentioned to add half tin of condensed milk and half a cup of fresh cream..I don't have fresh cream in my fridge,so I used full tin condensed milk..

• Please make sure that do not add too much biscuit powder on top of pudding..Most of them do not like it..If you don't like ,you can ignore it..

• Instead of pista or cardamom, you can add almonds and few thread of saffron dissolved in little milk..Instead of pista-elaichi essence,you can use few almond-saffron powder,which is used in milk drinks..