Falooda- china grass pudding

Falooda- china grass pudding

My grandmother used to call china grass (agar agar) - “falooda grass”.  (Falooda is also the yummy ice-cream sundae topped with rose syrup and brimming with vermicelli, nuts…). Grandmother used to make it with just milk, china grass, sugar and some cardamom powder. She used food colours in different batches and made collages of pink and pistachio green “falooda”. This is the upgraded and richer version of her “falooda”.

Actually, you can make a lot of egg-free pudding using this basic liquid to china grass ratio. Just use different liquids. One tasty variant is using tender coconut flesh and water combined in a blender in place of milk. Many use pureed fruits also, like mango and strawberries. Caramelise some black sesame-coconut-sugar mix, cashew-coconut-sugar mix or banana-coconut-sugar mix and top the pudding. Spread these in the dish before you pour in the china grass if you are planning to invert this to serve. 

Getting to dissolve all the china grass is always a challenge. Soaking is a must. Break or cut china grass into smaller pieces and soak in warm water for an hour. Heat this over low heat without boiling. Meanwhile combine milk, condensed milk, cream and sugar in a big sauce pan and heat it. When china grass gets dissolved, combine it with the milk mixture and take off heat. Add vanilla and stir in well. Strain the mixture and pour into a 9x9 dish or into individual cups. Cover, let cool and refrigerate. Serve cold.