Dulce de Leche is a taste extremely familiar to Indians who grew up on a plethora of milk deserts. I needed it for a chocoflan recipe and didn’t find any at my local grocery store. I do live in Atlanta and the nearest mercado is just a few miles away but it’s easy to make dulce de leche at home if you have several hours.

To a pressure cooker – add a can of condensed milk (remove the labels or the glue makes a mess). Cover with at least 2 inches of water over the can. Cook on high pressure for 30 min. Let it cool all the way down without jostling the cooker. Open can and the pale white condensed milk has transformed into a dense complex caramelized jelly. Caveat – the internet warns of exploding cans but honestly if the water covers the can and you don’t open the can till it’s cool- the risk seems minimal. But you’ve been warned !

For the Indians – the closest approximation I have is Dharwad cha pedha. That slightly burnt milk taste – it tastes like home.