Cardamom Jaggery Bread Pudding with Mango Bourbon Sauce

Background <1 Minute:

Happy Diwali! For Indians all around the world, this weekend celebrates the festival of lights. A time to come together as a family and share gifts but for us growing up it was a time to share delicious food. Veda's recipe today is a beautiful twist on a classic American dessert. She blends traditional Indian flavors like mango and cardamom effortlessly with the soft custard texture of a bread pudding. We cannot wait for you to try this! 

Ingredients

For the Bread Pudding

• 10 cups Challah bread cut into small cubes (1 large loaf)
• 4 cups half and half
• 5 eggs slightly beaten
• 2 tbsp vanilla

Cardamom Jaggery Sauce

• 1 ½ sticks of butter
• ¾ cup jaggery (you can sub for light brown sugar)
• ½ tsp crushed cardamom
• ⅛ cup half and half
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• Salt

Mango Bourbon Sauce

• 3 tbsp butter
• ⅓ cup of sugar
• ⅓ cup mango puree (Alphonso preferable)
• ⅓ cup half and half
• 1 ½ shots of Bourbon (Smooth Ambler Contradiction works well)

Instructions

Bread Pudding

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Whisk together half and half, eggs, and vanilla extract.
3. Pour egg/milk mixture over the bread in a large bowl. 
4. Toss gently and pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan.

Cardamom Jaggery Sauce

1. Melt the butter and add the sugars stirring to combine. 
2. Cook on medium-low heat while whisking for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Then add the half and half and cardamom and whisk for another 3 minutes or so. 
4. Remove from the heat and stir until glossy.
5. Drizzle the sauce onto the bread and toss gently.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45-55 minutes.
7. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes

Mango Bourbon Sauce

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter. 
2. Add the sugar and stir on medium-low heat until it emulsifies. 
3. Then add the mango puree and continue stirring until it reduces slightly.
4. Add one shot of the bourbon and simmer stirring for 5 minutes.
5. Then, add the half and half and cook stirring often until sauce reduces and begins to thicken. 
6. Add ½ shot bourbon and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Take off heat and cool.
7. Serve each slice of the bread pudding drizzled with the mango bourbon sauce and crushed pistachios.

Veda Sankaran 

Recipe Developer - Owner Jalsa By Veda

Veda is an Indian American mom, wife, teacher, and business woman living in Pittsburgh. Her professional background is in education, but she developed a love of food after 20+ years of cooking for her family. She cooks traditional Indian food, and her strength lies in creativity. She can take spices and flavors of Indian cuisine and use them to create new and unique recipes. Through constant recipe development and creating menus for local pop up dinners in Pittsburgh, she gives reigns to her creativity to use food as a medium for exploring the many facets of identity.

Find her on instagram @jalsabyveda