I know that even in Pak, people buy malai in cans now to spread on their toast. But for my tastebuds that puck can just doesn’t do it. Is there a way for me to make malai the old school way in the US?
Re: How to Make Malai
i am a malai lover myself and i know for a fact that it can never be made in the US/Canada.
in India, the milk is from the buffaloes which is quite rich and the malai is the best. the milk isNOT pasteurized over there and as a result we get a very thick and rich layer of malai.
the nearest in taste you can get is in a can of ‘Nestle’s Thick Cream’…i find it very close in taste to real malai. 
Re: How to Make Malai
If you can find milk direct from the cow in the US,then yes maybe.
The milk sold here is pasteurized and homogenized.Homogenization is the process which breaks milk fat into such tiny units that it gets evenly distributed and dispersed in milk and hence can not be separated,unlike non-homogenized milk where the milk water and fat content can get separated and hence we can get malai.
So it wont be possible to get it from the milk from the grocery store or any other commercial package of milk.
Re: How to Make Malai
Sigh. I was afraid of that. Thanks to you both.
Re: How to Make Malai
You can get fresh cream or breakfast cream in the refrigerator section which is as good as real malai. Otherwise heavy cream might work too
Re: How to Make Malai
if you can find clotted cream then that’s the closest to malai
Re: How to Make Malai
Try one of these:
Clotted Cream Recipe – Making Clotted Cream at Home is Much Easier Than You Think | Cupcake Project
http://www.joyofbaking.com/DevonshireCream.html
Becks & Posh: Making Clotted Cream in California
Maybe you can find one of these in your locality, or try ordering online
Clotted Cream, Devon Cream…Great with scones!!
Re: How to Make Malai
I read this on a website, it might help:
“Do you have any tea houses or fancy hotels that offer tea near you? Here in the SF Bay area, we have places that serve “afternoon tea” or “high tea” where you can purchase Devonshire cream/clotted cream. Some of our local grocery stores also sell Devonshire cream, either in the dairy section or in the international foods section, in glass jars next to the lemon curd.”