Healthy Fruit Custard Salad
Chilled healthy fruit custard salad made from milk thickened with roasted makhana and cashews, sweetened with dates and optional monk fruit, then folded with fresh fruit. No cream or custard powder.
Equipment
- Blender high-speed preferred for a silky base
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing bowl for fruit
- Airtight container for chilling
Ingredients
For the custard base
- 3 cups milk whole or 2%
- 1 cup roasted makhana fox nuts, cooled
- 1/4 cup cashews soaked in warm water 20 to 30 minutes, drained
- 2 tablespoons almonds soaked with the cashews, skins optional, drained
- 6-8 soft pitted dates Medjool or similar, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder elaichi
- 1-2 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener optional, to taste
- pinch salt
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron strands kesar, optional, bloomed in 1 tablespoon warm milk
For the fruit salad
- 3 cups mixed chopped fruit choose 4 to 5 of apple, banana, seedless grapes, pomegranate arils, orange segments, kiwi, or pear
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice for apple, banana, or pear
Optional garnish
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped pistachios or almonds
- pomegranate arils extra, for garnish
Instructions
Prep the thickeners
- Soak the cashews and almonds in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well.
- If your makhana is not already roasted, dry-roast on medium-low for 4 to 5 minutes until crisp. Cool completely.
- Pit and chop the dates so they blend easily.
Blend the custard base
- Add the cooled makhana, drained cashews, almonds, dates, pinch of salt, and 1 cup of the milk to the blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping the sides once. Add another splash of milk only if the blender struggles.
- Pour the remaining milk into a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until steaming, not boiling. Whisk in the blended mixture. Add bloomed saffron if using.
Cook and chill
- Cook on medium-low, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil hard or it can split.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the cardamom powder. Taste. If you want it sweeter, stir in 1 tablespoon monk fruit, taste again, and add up to 1 more tablespoon.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 2 hours until cold and creamy. It thickens more as it chills. If it sets too thick, whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons cold milk before adding fruit.
Assemble the fruit custard salad
- Chop the fruit into bite-size pieces. Toss apple, banana, or pear with the lemon juice so they stay bright.
- Fold the cold fruit into the chilled custard just before serving. Spoon into a bowl or cups. Garnish with chopped nuts and pomegranate if you like. Serve cold.
Notes
A high-speed blender makes the biggest difference. If the base feels sandy, blend longer or strain once through a fine mesh before chilling.
Soft dates usually sweeten enough. Add monk fruit only after the custard is off the heat so you do not overshoot.
Keep custard and fruit separate until serving. Watery fruit sitting in the base overnight thins the bowl and softens the texture.
Grapes, pomegranate, orange, and firm apple keep the best bite. Banana is lovely but add it at the table.
For dairy-free, use unsweetened almond or oat milk with the same makhana-cashew blend. Simmer gently; plant milks can thicken faster.
Custard base alone keeps airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Assembled fruit custard is best the same day; leftovers keep about 1 day but the fruit softens.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!