This paayassam made with rice flakes, jaggery and creamy coconut milk is a wonderful delicacy. This may not be one of the most common paayassam/Kheer made, but this is different and takes around only 15 minutes to prepare.
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| Aval Paayasam |
Ingredients:
- Brown rice flakes/ Aval/ Poha 1 cup
- Melted jaggery 1/2 cup
- Powdered dried ginger - a small pinch (optional)
- Cardamom 2-3 no.s
- Coconut cream 200 ml
- Ghee 1 tbsp
- Cashew nuts, Raisins, Coconut bits - 1/2 tsp each
Method of preparation:
- Take the aval in a bowl, wash well and drain it. Leave the aval in just sufficient water to soak.
- Melt the jaggery with little water, strain the impurities and keep it aside.
- In a thick bottomed pan, cook the soaked aval with little water. When it is almost cooked, add the melted jaggery and stir well. Add the dried ginger powder and crushed cardamom.
- When the mixture starts thickening, add the coconut cream, stir well and switch off the owen.
- In a small frying pan, heat the ghee, add the cashew nuts, raisins and coconut bits and fry till golden brown. Add this to the paayassam.
Serve the paayassam warm or cold. Enjoy 😊
Panna cotta is the simplest of desserts — a softly set pudding made with cream, sugar, and gelatin. It originated in Northern Italy and the name literally means cooked cream.
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| Vanilla Pannacotta |
Ingredients:
- Milk 1 cup
- Sugar ¼ cup
- Full cream 1 cup
- Pure vanilla bean extract 1 tsp
- Gelatine powder 1.5 tsp
- Salt - a small pinch
- Olive oil to rub on the bowls/ ramekins
Method of preparation:
- Lightly oil the moulds or small bowls/teacups.
- Take the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and sprinkle the gelatin on top of the milk. Wait till the gelatin is dissolved. Once it is dissolved, set the saucepan on low heat and stir continuously. Make sure the milk isn't overly hot. After a couple of minutes, stir in the sugar. Leave it on the stove on low heat, keep stirring and ensure that the milk doesn't boil.
- Remove the pan from heat after about 5 minutes and whisk in the cream and vanilla. Add a small pinch of salt. Whisk well and pour the mix into ramekins. Refrigerate for about 4 hours.
- To serve, invert the ramekin over the plate and shake gently to get the pannacotta fall out on the plate.
Note: Pannacotta is a gentle dessert and when un-moulded should be wobbly on the plate (not rubbery).
Here it is served with berry sauce and pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top.
Phirni is an Indian dessert which is rich and creamy, prepared with rice paste, full cream milk, dried nuts like almonds or pistachio and cardamom powder. This is usually served cold in clay or earthen pots. We can try different variations of Phirni by adding fruit purées or flavour syrups like rose.Here I have tried strawberries as they are abundantly available during summer.Strawberry Phirni is creamy in texture and easy to make.
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| Strawberry Phirni |
Ingredients:
- Strawberries (ripe & red) 12 -15 medium ones
- Full cream milk 2 cups
- Basmati rice 4 tsps (soak in water for 15-20 minutes)
- Sugar 1/2 or 3/4 cup (depending on your taste & the sweetness of the strawberries)
- Pistachios (sliced) - a handful
- Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Method of preparation:
- Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain this and grind to a fine paste with half cup of milk.
- Wash, slice and blend the strawberries to a purée.
- In a thick bottomed pan, boil the rest of the one and half cup of milk. In medium flame, simmer the milk until it is reduced to 3/4 of the original quality. To this, slowly add the ground rice, stir well. Cook in low flame till the mix blends in fully and starts to thicken.
- Keep on stirring on low flame for upto 15 minutes, add the sugar and cardamom powder. Keep the flame still on low, till the sugar dissolves and mixture becomes creamy with no lumps.
- Now add the strawberry purée, mix till well combined and switch off the flame.
- Remove the mixture to a bowl, leave it to cool and then chill. When serving, scoop it into bowls and garnish with pistachio pieces. Drizzle little purée on top and give it a swirl.
NOTE: Make sure you get the right texture of the creamy dessert, if it is too thick add little full cream milk. If it is runny, mix a spoonful of rice flour, mix in water and add to the Phirni while cooking.
