Purin (Japanese custard pudding)
Caramel custard pudding
プリン · Firm, retro custard pudding with bitter caramel
Old-fashioned Tokyo kissaten pride themselves on purin that stands up on the plate: a firm, slightly bouncy custard under a dark, bittersweet caramel, served in a glass dish with a long spoon. It is a favourite dessert for children and nostalgic adults alike, and it keeps for two days in the fridge. The mistake that ruins it is too much heat; a hot oven or rolling boil makes the custard puff and fill with tiny holes (called su), so bake it gently in a water bath. Chef's tip: take the caramel darker than you think, to a deep mahogany, because its bitterness is what balances the sweet custard.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the caramel
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp hot water
For the custard
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
- 3 eggslarge
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ oz butterfor greasing
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/8 doneStep 2: Put 2 ⅛ oz sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small pan over a medium heat. Swirl (don't stir) until it turns a deep amber-brown and smells toasty.
6 minStep 3: Take off the heat and carefully add 1 tbsp hot water; it will spit. Swirl, then pour straight into the ramekins and leave to set.
Step 4: Warm 1 ¼ cups whole milk with 1 ¾ oz sugar until steaming and the sugar has dissolved; do not let it boil.
3 minStep 5: Whisk 3 eggs gently in a jug, without making foam. Slowly pour in the warm milk, stirring, then add 1 tsp vanilla extract. Strain through a fine sieve and skim off any bubbles.
Step 6: Pour the custard over the caramel. Set the ramekins in a deep tin lined with a tea towel and pour in hot water to halfway up. Cover the tin loosely with foil.
Step 7: Bake until the custards are set at the edge with a slight wobble in the centre, like firm jelly.
40 minStep 8: Cool, then chill for at least 3 hours. Run a knife round the edge and turn out onto plates so the caramel runs down the sides.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does purin (Japanese custard pudding) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.