Gretchen’s notes:
This is the first dessert at On Her Table, and it’s so fitting that it comes from the amazing Rupa! I always gush about her recipes, so I’ll try to contain myself and just say that her desserts are as amazing as her savory dishes.
This egg rabri is sort of a custard. At its heart, it’s a mixture of milk, eggs, and sugar that ends up setting fairly noticeably thanks to the eggs. The cardamom, raisins, and cashews give it a luxuriously Bengali flair.
One of the great things about learning world recipes is that you can tweak them to fit your local ingredients. For example, I’m planning to make a variation on this that uses traditional eggnog spices (including vanilla, nutmeg, and cloves) for a California-meets-Kolkata version. I’d recommend making it once exactly as Rupa instructs, because her desserts are incredible, and then playing with it to make it truly your own.
Ingredient Preparation
Rupa’s recipe is so deceptively simple that there’s actually very little preparation to do. You’ll need to soak the raisins (this is the first step in the recipe), crush the cardamom, mix the eggs with salt, and chop the cashews (if they’re not chopped already). But there’s enough space and breathing room in her recipe that you can easily do these things as you go.
If you’d prefer, feel free to do them in advance:
Crush the cardamom pods (use a mortar and pestle, a rolling pin, or even a heavy pan) and set aside. You’ll use both the seeds and the shells.
Whisk the eggs together with a generous pinch of salt and set aside.
Chop the cashews into small pieces and set aside.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 3 cups milk
- 8 to 10 cardamom pods
- 1/3 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
- salt
- 6 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk powder
- 2 tablespoons condensed milk (adjust to taste)
- chopped cashews for serving
Instructions:
Soak the raisins in warm water and set aside.
Begin cooking the milk. Bring the milk to a simmer on medium heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until visibly reduced.
Add flavorings. Crush the cardamom pods and stir them into the simmering milk along with the sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Continue to simmer the milk. Remove about 1/4 cup into a separate bowl and set aside.
Prepare and add the eggs. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and mix to combine. Spoon the eggs into the simmering milk mixture, one spoonful at a time, into different areas of the pan. From now on, do not stir!
Continue cooking the milk mixture. Drain the soaked raisins and sprinkle most of them over the mixture in the pan, reserving some for serving. Continue cooking over medium heat without stirring.
Finish cooking the egg rabri. Mix the milk powder into the hot milk you set aside. Pour it over the mixture in the pan. Drizzle the condensed milk over the mixture in the pan. Continue cooking over medium heat for 10 to 15 more minutes. The finished dish should have firmed up thanks to the eggs.
Serve and enjoy! Allow to cool until warm, not hot. Then scoop into a bowl, top with chopped cashews, remaining raisins, and more condensed milk to taste. Enjoy!
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