One thing about Indian cuisine is we know how to make a damn good dessert. Let’s be honest, we know how to make a damn good EVERYTHING, and this Indian fruit custard is no exception. It features mixed fruits served in a creamy cold custard, and is so incredibly moreish!
Indian fruit custard is typically served chilled, making it a refreshing treat for warm summer days. It’s super simple to make, and is easily scalable to serve at parties and gatherings.
And if you love Indian desserts, you’ll love my recipes for coconut ladoos and creamy kheer too!
What is Indian fruit custard?
Indian fruit custard is a fusion between English custard, Indian spice, and nature’s candies – fruits! It combines a creamy, vanilla and cardamom-flavoured custard base with a variety of chopped fruits like bananas, mangoes, apples, grapes, and pomegranates.
The result is a dessert that’s both satisfyingly moreish and packed with the goodness of fruits, making it a healthier choice compared to many other Indian sweets.
This dessert is also incredibly customisable, so you can switch out the fruits for any of your choosing or whatever you have on hand!
Why do Indians love custard powder?
Custard powder is an incredibly nostalgic ingredient for many Indians, and the love affair dates back to the British colonial period.
The story goes that custard powder was invented by the British pharmacist Alfred Bird in 1837 for his wife Elizabeth, who suffered from egg and yeast allergies. Fun fact – he also went on to develop our beloved baking powder, so his wife could enjoy bread. Ladies, if he wanted to he would!
Custard powder was subsequently introduced to India during British colonial occupation of the subcontinent. The convenience, affordability, and eggless nature of custard powder led to its adaptation and use in many Indian desserts – perhaps most famously in fruit custard.
If you’d like to discover more about the global legacies of the British empire, I highly recommend the book Empireworld by Sathnam Sanghera.
What ingredients will I need to make Indian fruit custard?
To make this easy recipe, you will need just a few ingredients:
- Custard powder – you can find this in most UK supermarkets, or on Amazon.
- Sugar – to prepare the custard. I have not yet tested a naturally sweetened version of custard but I suspect a 1:1 replacement with coconut sugar would work well.
- Milk – also for preparing our custard. If you are substituting with dairy-free milk, use a barista-style oat milk for best results.
- Vanilla – whilst custard powder does have its own distinctive vanilla flavour, I like to add a little vanilla extract for extra deliciousness. If you’re feeling extra special, add the seeds of a fresh vanilla bean for an unmatched taste!
- Cardamom – a small pinch of freshly ground cardamom is optional but highly recommended. And if you’re a cardamom lover like me, you’ll fall head over heels for my cardamom-spiced millet cookies!
- Fruits of your choosing – I love using a mix of bananas, mangoes, apples, pomegranate and grapes. But you can use whatever you love or have on hand!
How to make Indian fruit custard step-by-step
As always, you can find the full recipe and instructions at the bottom of this blog post.
This recipe is dangerously simple to make. We begin by preparing the custard. This involves gently heating the milk and (optional) cardamom in a saucepan (photo 1). Meanwhile, whisk together custard powder, sugar, and a splash of milk to form a paste (photo 2).
Once the milk is simmering, add the custard powder and whisk the custard continuously until it starts to thicken and the sugar has dissolved (photo 3).
Remove the custard from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film or saran wrap to prevent the custard forming a skin (photo 4). Transfer to the fridge for 1.5-2 hours until the custard has fully cooled.
Once the custard is fully cooled, add the chopped fruits (photo 5) and mix until combined (photo 6). Either serve immediately or chill for a few more hours to allow the flavours to amalgamate. How simple!
Serving suggestions
Indian fruit custard is best enjoyed chilled on a warm Summer’s day. Prepare it a few hours in advance and let it sit in the refrigerator to allow the flavours to meld together.
It can be served in a large bowl for a family-style dessert or in individual cups/bowls for a more refined presentation.
For an extra special touch, garnish the Indian style fruit salad with a few strands of saffron, a sprinkle of chopped nuts, or a drizzle of condensed milk. Does anything NOT taste better with a drizzle of condensed milk on top?
You can also get creative and serve fruit custard in a dessert platter featuring your favourite traditional and desi-inspired sweets. Think coconut ladoos, white chocolate pistachio cookies, chai banana bread, and kheer served in cutting chai glasses. So cute!
FAQ
Yes! This recipe is easily made vegan or dairy-free by substituting oat milk for the whole milk. I recommend using an unsweetened barista-style oat milk as it will yield a thick and creamy custard.
The end flavour is virtually indiscernible from the dairy-containing version!
Indian fruit custard is naturally gluten-free, making it perfect to serve as an allergy-friendly option at parties and gatherings.
Whilst custard powder itself does not contain gluten as it is cornstarch-based, please take the necessary precautions when deciding whether to consume custard powder if you have severe allergies.
Yes! This is a great way to prepare the dessert. In fact, fruit custard tastes better when it has sat for a few hours, as the flavours will have had some time to amalgamate.
Use your own due diligence when deciding which fruits to add ahead of time and which to add just before serving. Bananas, for example, are one that I usually add just before serving to prevent them from becoming overripe.
My personal favourites are bananas, apples, grapes, pomegranates, and mangoes. It’s best to use fruits that are firm and not too watery to maintain the texture of the custard.
See below for some tasty variations on the traditional fruit custard, using a variety of fruits!
You can store this Indian style fruit salad with custard in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
However, it’s best enjoyed within the first day as the fruits can release moisture over time, which may thin the custard.
Absolutely! Store-bought or leftover custard can save time and both will work well in this recipe. Be sure to adjust the sweetness and consistency according to your personal preference.
Delicious variations on Indian fruit custard
The ingredients and measurements provided below serve as a framework for you to get experimental with your own fruit custard recipes! Some delicious variations include:
- A Tropical twist: Replace whole milk with coconut milk to make a coconut custard, and serve alongside sliced tropical fruits such as mangoes, pineapples and papaya for a taste of the tropics.
- Chocoholics fruit custard: Add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to the custard to make a chocolate custard. I think this would taste delicious with some mixed berries. And if you’re a chocoholic like me, you’ll love my vegan oreo brownies!
- Rose and pistachio custard: Infuse the custard with a splash of rose water for a delicate floral flavour, and pair with fruits like lychee, grapes and pomegranate to complement the flavour. Top with chopped pistachios and a sprinkle of dried rose petals! And PSA to all rose/pistachio fiends – you need this rose pistachio chia pudding in your rotation.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please leave a rating + review below and share your photos on Instagram tagging #shivanilovesfood!
Indian Fruit Custard Recipe
Leave a Review Print Recipe SaveIngredients
- 1.5 cups/ 400 ml Whole Milk use barista-style oat milk for dairy-free option
- 3 Cardamom Pods split
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1.5 tbsp Custard Powder
- 1.5 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 2 cups Chopped Fruits of choice I like mango, banana, grapes, apple + pomegranate
Instructions
- Add the milk to a small saucepan along with the split cardamom pods and vanilla extract. Turn the pan onto low heat and bring it to a simmer. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the custard powder and sugar to a small bowl along with approx. 2 tbsp of cold milk. Whisk to form a paste, ensuring that all of the custard powder has dissolved.
- Once the milk is simmering, pour in the custard paste and continuously whisk the custard until it has thickened slightly and the sugar has dissolved. Don't stop whisking as the custard will turn lumpy.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl to remove the cardamom pods and any lumps of custard powder. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or saran wrap (this is to prevent a skin forming on the custard).
- Allow the custard to cool slightly at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for 1.5-2 hours until it has cooled completely.
- Before serving, chop up the fruits into similar-sized pieces. Add the fruits to the custard, mix together and enjoy! Serve the fruit custard topped with chopped nuts if you wish.
Notes
- Store leftover fruit salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It is best eaten within the first day as the fruit may soften over time.
- See blog post above for recipe variations.