Spicyana

Cardamom-Saffron Panna cotta
For JFI-Milk

Thank you Vineela for hosting this month’s JFI and for choosing a delicious theme !

A milk based Indian dessert is all about milk, milk in abundance, slowly cooked down using copious amounts of patience. The texture may vary from a creamy Basundi to a soft cookie like Milk peda, but emphasis is always given to the taste of milk itself. Whatever the dessert is, if you want to do it in the traditional way, you start with liters of milk and end up in a few cupfuls or pieces of the dessert! Every spice that you add, acts as an under taste imparting layers of warmth to a comforting taste of milk cooked with sugar.

When this month started off, I looked at the event schedules and decided to participate in two, JFI-Milk and FMR-Indian dessert fusion. There was almost a two for one deal there if I made a panna cotta (cooked cream in Italian) with the usual Indian dessert spices. But the month just rushed off, and now when I look at the FMR calendar I see that the posting deadline is over, but my mind is still set on a cardamom-saffron flavored panna cotta. Panna cotta, mildly flavored, totally egg less and very milky, can well be imagined along the flavor lines of a Kesar Kulfi or a Basundi. Cardamom and saffron are used to flavor this version of the dessert with added evaporated milk for getting that slow cooked milk taste you get with many of the Indian milk based desserts. A simple fruit puree will work very well as the sauce, mango or peach is recommended.

Have fun and enjoy the long weekend !

Cream 1 cup
Evaporated milk 1 cup
Confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup
Rose water ½ tsp
Saffron strands a pinch
Cardamom-crushed 1 pod
Gelatin Powder 1 tsp
Pistachio crushed 2 tbsp
Water 3 tbsp


Add gelatin to water, stir well, let it stand for 5 minutes. Melt gelatin by double boiling or microwavin till the mixture is clear. Mix cream, evaporated milk and sugar. Cook under medium heat with constant stirring for 5 minutes or till the mixture is hot. Reduce the heat and cook under low heat for 10 more minutes. Remove from stove, add cardamom, saffron, and rose water. Mix well and keep it covered for 5 minutes. Strain it through a sieve. Add the melted Gelatin, mix well. Pour into molds and refrigerate for 6 hours or preferably overnight. For un-molding, keep the filled mold in hot water for 5 seconds and invert over to a plate. Sprinkle with crushed pistachio. Serve with fruit puree ( mangoes or peaches go very well with the flavors used in this recipe).To make fruit puree – Blend together1 cup of fruits and 1 tbsp of confectioners sugar, refrigerate.

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