I made caramel custard for my cousin's birthday dinner last Thursday. The video said 6 ingredients and
40 minutes. I was sure about it. I measured the milk in a proper jug and everything.
The video lady kept saying, now just let it set. Set where? How long? She never
said. I put it in the fridge for 1 hour and hoped. That was my entire plan.
When I turned it out onto the plate, half the caramel stayed in the tin.
The custard slid off in one rubbery piece and sat there shaking. Not a nice shake.
My cousin cut a corner, chewed for a long time, and said, it's very interesting. That's what
people say when they want to leave the room. Everyone went quiet. Our dog Sultan eats anything.
Dropped roti, a whole lemon, once a tube of toothpaste. I put a small piece on the floor, like a
peace offering. He sniffed it. Then he looked at me, turned around, and went to lie down in the other
room. Didn't even take a second sniff. My little brother laughed so hard he had to sit on the floor.
Later I worked out the problem. I'd used 3 eggs instead of 5 because I ran out.
Nobody had told me eggs were what holds the whole thing together. I thought they were decoration.
We ordered biryani for the birthday. The custard sat in the fridge until Sunday. My mother
threw it away quietly when I wasn't looking. She didn't tell me. I saw the empty bowl.