Chop the blanched almonds into thick slivers. Drop them into a tablespoon of warm butter and sauté till golden over a low flame. Drain from the butter and set aside. Do not brown them.

Bring the milk to just one boil, then lower the flame and simmer whilst stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes and then keep aside.

Add the fresh cream, vanilla essence, butter, condensed milk, cardamom and mace powder. Incorporate it gently.

Let the mixture cool for half an hour.

Then beat the eggs in a separate bowl or mash the bananas with fork and gently whisk them through the milk mixture. Don't over beat. We just need the mixture to be smooth.

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Set the rack to the bottom most position in the oven.

Butter a deep dish.Pour the custard gently into the deep dish. Carefully slide onto the bottom most rack of the oven taking utmost care for the custard not to spill.

Bake for half an hour.
Carefully remove the tray/dish from the oven, without switching off the oven.

Sprinkle the slivered nuts over the custard and return the dish/tray to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.

Switch off the oven. Do not promptly remove the dish/tray!
Let it gradually cool inside and custard cook in the residual heat.

Remove the tray/dish after half an hour and let it cool down completely.

Cover with a foil and put the custard in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.

Serve chilled or if needed sprinkle some freshly peeled pomegranate and then cut into desired shapes. Enjoy!