Lagan nu Custardલગન નુ કસ્ટર્ડ

Name: Lagan nu Custard
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Parsi
Ingredients: 1 litre full-fat milk; 6 large eggs (whole); 150 g sugar; 2 tbsp charoli (chironji seeds); 2 tbsp blanched almonds, slivered; 2 tbsp pistachios, slivered; 1 tsp green cardamom, freshly ground; 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated; 2 tsp rose water; 1 tsp kewra water (screwpine essence); 1 tsp ghee, for greasing

⏱ Prep 15m🍳 Cook 80m🍽 Serves 8🌿 Vegetarian

Video: Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana (YouTube)

Lagan nu Custard is the crown jewel of Parsi wedding feasts — a deeply fragrant baked egg custard that has graced celebration tables for generations. Made from full-fat milk reduced to a creamy richness, whole eggs, and a generous perfuming of cardamom, rose water, and freshly grated nutmeg, it sets in the oven to a silky, bronzed surface with a trembling interior. The name itself — lagan meaning wedding — tells you how central this dessert is to Parsi hospitality and festivity.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

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Ingredients

▪full-fat milk1 litre
▪eggs (whole)6 large
▪sugar150 g
▪charoli (chironji seeds)2 tbsp
▪blanched almonds, slivered2 tbsp
▪pistachios, slivered2 tbsp
▪green cardamom, freshly ground1 tsp
▪nutmeg, freshly grated1/4 tsp
▪rose water2 tsp
▪kewra water (screwpine essence)1 tsp
▪ghee, for greasing1 tsp

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Charoli (chironji) seeds give a subtle almond-like crunch and are available at Indian grocery stores across the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. In a pinch, replace with an equal quantity of roughly chopped blanched almonds or pine nuts.
Kewra water (screwpine essence) can be found in South Asian grocery stores in most major cities, or ordered online. If unavailable, simply increase the rose water to 3 tsp — the floral fragrance will be slightly different but equally fragrant.
For the water bath, any large oven-safe pan — a roasting tray or even a deep sheet pan — works perfectly. The water bath is non-negotiable for the silky, crack-free custard texture, so do not skip it.

Method

1Pour the milk into a wide, heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until it reduces to roughly 750 ml — about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to just warm.
2Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease a wide, shallow ovenproof dish (a 9-inch round baking dish works well) generously with ghee.
3In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is pale and the sugar is fully dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Do not beat to foam — a smooth, gentle whisk is ideal.
4Slowly pour the warm (not hot) reduced milk into the egg-sugar mixture while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. Stir in the ground cardamom, grated nutmeg, rose water, and kewra water.
5Pour the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the prepared baking dish to catch any egg strands and ensure a smooth finish.
6Scatter the slivered almonds, pistachios, and charoli seeds evenly over the surface.
7Place the dish in a water bath — set it inside a larger roasting tray filled with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the custard dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes until the surface is golden and a thin knife inserted in the centre comes out just barely clean (a slight jiggle is fine).
8Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled, scooped into small bowls or cut into wedges directly from the dish.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.