Why it works: Milk and molasses are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,243 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Indian Pudding Without Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Boil some cinnamon in a quart of milk, then strain it.
While the milk is hot, stir in a pint of molasses, then add gradually a quart or more of Indian meal to make a thick batter.
Add grated peel and juice of a large lemon or orange for improvement.
Boil and serve
Tie the mixture securely in a thick cloth, leaving room for swelling, and paste the tying place with a lump of flour and water.
Put the tied mixture into a pot of boiling water, keep it boiling hard for four or five hours, replenishing water as needed.
Serve warm with molasses and butter.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Milk + molassestop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together7,243 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Milk
- Provides the liquid that hydrates the meal and gives the pudding its moist, creamy body.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, dark color, and a deep, caramel-like flavor to the pudding.
- Indian meal (in the method)
- Thickens the batter as its starch swells on cooking, giving the pudding its firm structure.
The step that matters
Keeping the cloth sealed and the water boiling hard. The pudding cooks by steam and hot water through the cloth. A loose tie lets water in and the batter can burst or turn soggy, while water that drops below a hard boil cooks the starch unevenly. Leave room for swelling as the meal expands.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Molasses Cookies96 recipes
Molasses Cake90 recipes
Molasses Sponge Cake9 recipes
White Cake431 recipes