Warm, crystalline, smooth, soft and sweet, with rich aroma of the smoked heartwood, a pinch of ghee and caramelized sugar makes a perfect blend for caking the milk by Shri Phima Ram Ji at the border village of Abdullian in Ranbir Singh Pura (R.S. Pura) Tehsil of Jammu District. The village has acquired fame not only at the state level but at the national level due to the milk cake made by the cake makers like Shri Phima Ram Ji and others. It is growing as a hub for milk cake as many shops have opened for the sale of milk cake on the R.S. Pura – Abdullian Road.
Open the box with smile
It was after the war of 1971 that Phima Ram Ji has started making milk cake after working for some years with the Halwayees (sweet makers) at R.S. Pura. He learned the art of making milk cake from them and then shifted to his native village Abdullian for making milk cake. He does not have any formal education but have magic in his hands for making the perfect blend of milk cake. His success has inspired many people from his village and also from neighbouring villages to take up the business of making milk cake. As a result many shops came up for the sale of milk cake in the locality. Although there are 10-12 shops in and around village Abdullian, Bega, Bera and Dak Bangla but the cake made by Phima Ram Ji is the best of all and rich in flavour. He perfectly masters the art of balancing sugar in his cake and which makes a person to have as much as he can without reaching satiety.
You can’t resist taking another piece
Phima Ram Ji has a very modest and clean shop located in the premises of his house, in front of which he has a traditional cook stove made of mud in which he burns the matured and ripened heartwood for cooking the milk to form milk cake. It is the simmering of milk on the wood stove which imparts it with best of the flavours. He uses buffalo milk for making the cake and owns four buffaloes. He also procures milk from the village farmers and uses that milk in making the cake. It is the quality of the milk, the purity and wholeness along with the capability of Phima Ram Ji which brings about the best of the milk cake for us. He makes about 18-20kg of milk cake daily and sale the same from his home only. The price of the cake is Rs. 200 per kg. The recipe of the milk cake is kept confidential by him and he only practices this secret recipe.
Phima Ram Ji cutting the freshly made milk cake in his shop
Abdullian is a border village and is always gripped by the ceasefire violations and cross border shelling which do have a negative impact on the business but being located on the border has helped this business to grow as the soldiers of the Border Security Force (BSF) became the first of the customers of Phima Ram Ji. Till date the tensions on the border has been a major threat to the business but still he is earning handsomely to run his family and the business. He produces less but do not compromise the quality.
Milk cake can be purchased in bulk after placing a prior order and booking for the same. Although most of the times the mobiles do not work in Abdullian as it is located right on the India-Pakistan Border, therefore, he has a fixed line for making contact to the people, the number of which is 01923205852.
In conversation with the cake maker
Milk cake made by Shri Phima Ram Ji is a perfect example of earning livelihood through value addition of milk. Milk cake can be made with very less inputs and livestock farmers can increase their earnings by value addition of milk and preparing the same.
How to reach Abdullian?
Abdullian is about 27 kilometers from Jammu city and is easily approachable and well connected through road. Public transport can also be used to reach Abdullian from Jammu city to R.S. Pura and then from R.S. Pura to Jammu city.
To reach Abdullian, from Jammu city, take R.S. Pura Road to R.S. Pura. From R.S. Pura take the road to Kana Chak to Dak Bangla to Bega-Bera and then finally Abdullian.
Cost of the Milk Cake at Abdullian: Rs. 200 per kg
Best time to buy: Around 10AM in the morning as it is freshly made and very soft and slightly warm.
Contact Numbers: 01923205852, 7051229967
Name and address of the shop: Phima Sweet Shop, Village Abdullian, R.S. Pura, Jammu.
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