Mango Bread Pudding with Custard Drizzle

1.Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.

2.In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, ground cardamom (if using), and a pinch of salt until fully combined and smooth.

3.Add the bread cubes to the custard mixture and gently fold to coat all pieces evenly. Let it soak for about 10 minutes so the bread absorbs the custard.

4.Gently fold in the diced ripe mangoes and plain curd (yogurt) into the soaked bread mixture, distributing them evenly but carefully to avoid breaking the mango pieces.

5.Transfer the bread and mango mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes to settle.

6.Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.

7.While the pudding bakes, prepare the custard drizzle: In a small saucepan, combine the milk and half of the sugar (2 tablespoons). Heat over medium heat until just simmering, stirring occasionally.

8.In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and pale.

9.Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.

10.Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

11.Once the bread pudding is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly (about 10 minutes).

12.Serve warm slices of the mango bread pudding drizzled generously with the freshly made custard sauce. Optionally, garnish with a few fresh mango slices or a sprinkle of ground cardamom for extra aroma.