Fresh Cream at home – Doesn’t that sound interesting? Once you get the hang of making homemade cream and butter at home then I am sure you will not go in for store bought ones But I agree it takes time but the when you see the end product, it is all worth the wait. I have never got cream from shops whenever I make gravies that calls for cream like PB masala,paneer tikka masala , methi matar malai etc. And trust me add few tablespoon of fresh for any gravy, it takes the gravy to a whole new level.I have got amul fresh cream tetra packs twice for making strawberry and mango cheese cakes as homemade cream is not suitable and advisable for desserts like these and yes that’s a word of caution I tell in advance.
What is Fresh Cream?
Fresh Cream is heavy cream made by collecting malai from milk, storing and whipping it until creamy consistency. So this homemade fresh cream can be used for cooking.
Fresh Cream is the secret ingredient behind the tastier, creamier and rich gravies, pasta and soup. It’s going to be still better with homemade fresh cream. I am sure many of us would have the habit of eating the cream of milk every day. My mom gets it hardly as I consume it when I see it. Mittu also has developed this habit and now we are nearly swearing not to touch the cream for the sole purposes of getting cream to make fresh cream or butter.
Fresh Cream Recipe Video
Fresh Cream Ingredients
Fresh Cream ingredients includes just whole milk.
Milk: I buy milk locally from milk man who delivers milk at home milked from his cows at his house. Since the milk is direct from cows and not skimmed or toned, it gives me a good yield of cream. Not all might have access to get milk directly, so when you get milk from store or packet milk door delivered it may be toned / double toned or skimmed or full fat. Full fat milk has 6% fat, toned milk has 3.0% fat, double toned milk has 1.5% fat and skimmed milk does not have fat at all. So we can get a good yield of cream from full fat milk, an average yield of cream from toned milk and negligible or no cream from skimmed milk. We use about few table spoons to ¼ cup based on the recipes, so for home use we can get toned milk which is healthier option than the regular consumption of full fat milk.
Fresh Cream can be used for :
Dal Makhani Paneer Butter Masala Matar Malai Kadai Mushroom Kadai Paneer etc
Homemade Fresh Cream can be used for all savoury dishes like gravies, curries etc. Adding cream to curries makes it not only rich but also gives it a restaurant taste. I have tried adding it to pudding but it gives a slightly sour taste so I would not recommend adding it for desserts or anything of that sort. The malai collected each day purely depends on the quantity of milk boiled. Always use a perforated laddle to collect the malai. Cows milk is preferred to yield more cream which tastes great too.
How to make Fresh Cream Step by Step
1.Add milk to a a sauce pan. Choose a big sauce pan that can hold enough milk as it needs space for boiling. Use cows milk preferably. 2.Heat it in medium flame until it comes to a rolling boil. 3.Give a quick mix and simmer for 2-3 mins. Place a spatula or laddle like this to avoid overflowing. 4.Simmering helps in thickening milk as I have used cows milk the water content mabe be a bit more so I usually thicken it a bit. Switch off. 5.After the milk is boiled, let is sit aside for 30 mins or few hours in the fridge so that thick malai gets collected at the top. You can either keep in room temperature or keep in fridge to yield thick malai.I usually collect the malai whenever I boil milk so twice a day. What I do is : First once the milk is boiled keep aside in room tempearture for few hours collect the malai then store the milk in fridge. Evening before boiling the milk, remove the malai again which will be slightly thick as its from fridge. 6.Partially cover and set aside. 7.You can see malai on top. We call it aadai in tamil. This is the malai fromed in room temperature after an hour. 8.Carefully take the malai with a perforated laddle. The malai quantity depends on the type of milk you boil. 9.Collect it in a clean container else you can use a strainer to take the malai. 10.Keep collecting the malai in the same container and refrigerate it. You can take malai as and when needed from this container. 11.Keep refrigerated and let it sit for at least 1 day for your instant cream say if you need just few tablespoons.Just whisk it well and Your cream is ready to use. But if you want it in bulk then keep collecting for at least 10-15 days or till you think you have a fair amount of malai collected. After the container is full you can either make butter out of it else use it as cream as such. Just whisk it well using a hand whisk for few mins until its creamy without any lumps.You can also use a electric whisk to beat it. 12.See the collected malai. 13.For using it for recipes take required malai in a bowl, whisk it gently. If you overwhisk it then butter will start forming. So remember to collect your malai everytime you boil milk to make your batch of homemade fresh cream ok?
Expert Tips
This cream suits well for almost all savory gravies/dishes which calls for fresh cream. Most of the gravies I posted here uses homemade fresh cream only. Just beat it well using a whisk or fork and add it to gravies. Homemade fresh cream is not suitable for any sweets/desserts like cheese cake etc. As it has a sour taste, it will not be suitable for desserts/sweets. While using for savory gravies the sourness doesn’t get noticed and is perfect to give a restaurant taste.
Storage & Serving Suggestions
Always store the collected cream in refrigerator. Do not store it in the freezer. Fresh cream is not consumed directly. It is added with the gravies, pasta and soups to make the dish creamy and to enrich the taste. Based on the quantity of gravy we are going to make for home regular cooking or for get together cooking, we will need about few tablespoon of fresh cream to few cups of fresh cream. Since it takes a week long time to collect the cream, plan and start collecting cream accordingly 10- 15 days before the occasion / get together when few cups of cream is needed.
1. How to make Fresh Cream from milk?
Fresh Cream is heavy cream made by collecting malai formed at the top of the milk, collecting, storing and whipping it until creamy consistency.
2. Fresh Cream can be used for?
Fresh Cream can be used for gravies like Paneer Butter Masala, Paneer Tikka Masala, Pasta, Methi Mutter Malai, Butter chicken, etc and for thickening coffee and soups.
3. Can I use this Fresh Cream for making cakes, baking or desserts?
No you cannot use this recipe for making cakes, baking or desserts. The cream that is used in baking is whipped cream. Whipped cream is made by beating / whisking the fresh cream at high speeds to form thick soft peak. Whipping cream has stabilizing agents like gelatin / powdered sugar and flavors like vanilla, chocolate, etc. while fresh cream is just cream of the milk.
4. Which milk gives lot of cream?
Milk which is not toned or skimmed gives more cream as the fat content is not removed from the milk. Toned milk has 3.0% fat, Double toned milk has 1.5% fat while skimmed milk does not have fat at all. So we can get an average yield of cream from toned milk but we will get negligible or no cream from skimmed milk.
5. How long can I collect fresh cream?
We can use the homemade fresh cream without a reduction in flavor for 2-3 weeks. Good to use within a month beyond which it might develop aggressive sour taste.
6. Is fresh cream high fat content good for heath?
Regular consumption of full fat milk might increase the LDL of cholesterol and could be a concern for heart. So it is good to consume toned milk. Adding cream for festive dishes or dishes done once in a while will not have an impact on health. If you have any more questions about this Fresh Cream do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter . Tried this Homemade Fresh Cream Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
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