Eggless Caramel Custard

Make the caramel: In a small pan, add sugar and water. Cook on medium heat WITHOUT stirring until the sugar melts and turns into a deep amber/brown caramel.

Quickly pour the hot caramel into a 6-inch round steel or glass mold. Swirl it to coat the bottom evenly. It will harden instantly. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix custard powder and agar agar powder with a small portion of the cold milk to form a lump-free slurry.

In a saucepan, bring the remaining milk and condensed milk to a gentle boil.

Reduce heat and slowly pour the custard-agar slurry into the boiling milk while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.

Cook for 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

3–4 min

Pour this hot custard mixture directly over the hardened caramel in the mold.

Cover the mold with foil. Steam it in a large pot (like a dhokla steamer) for 15 minutes. Alternatively, let it set directly in the fridge without steaming if you used agar agar.

15 min

Let it cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

2–3 hr

To serve, run a knife around the edges. Place a plate upside down over the mold and flip quickly so the caramel runs over the soft custard.