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Diwali is all about food, fun and everything festive. For us, it is also about fusion-ing things up – be it food, our dress up, theme or even the fun during the endless Diwali parties. It can get as colourful as you want it to be. Our food fusion corner today will share with you this amazing dessert Thandai Panna Cotta with Strawberry and Mango Coulis – quick to put together, absolutely lip smacking in taste, a visual treat to eyes and a perfect blend of tastes (cold, sweet, tangy, creamy, zinged up..in a nutshell exotic and fancy!)

The strawberry and mango coulis are inspired by LaPetitChef, whereas the layer of thandai pannacotta is self experimented with the recipe of thandai syrup from none other than CookWithManali (thank you for your awesome recipe, this came super handy and of perfect taste after our futile and endless trips to find the readymade thandai syrup in Singapore! It is usually available but looks like supply issues in the current festive times)

Ingredients:

Strawberry Coulis

• 8-10 strawberries
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Mango Coulis

• 2 ripe mangoes’ pulp
• Sugar (optional; if mangoes are sweet, do not put)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water

Thandai syrup

• ½ cup almonds
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 30 green cardamom pods
• 2 tbsp gulkand
• 2 tbsp dried rose petals (didn’t put as we didn’t have)
• ¼ tsp saffron strands

Thandai panna cotta

• 2 cups whipping cream
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp agar agar powder
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp thandai syrup

Procedure:

• Strawberry Coulis:
  • Blend in a jar all the ingredients of strawberry coulis
  • Simmer on a medium gas and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the thickness is of syrup consistency
  • Strain and set aside to cool
  • Upon cooling, layer the bottom layer in a glass and cling wrap immediately
  • Freeze it to set the layer
• Thandai Panna Cotta:
  • While the strawberry layer sets, prepare thandai syrup by blending well all the ingredients in the above list
  • For thandai panna cotta, firstly take the milk and sprinkle agar agar on top and set aside for 2 min. If you are using gelatin instead of agar agar, take 2tsp of gelatin. Agar agar is stronger than gelatin so you need lesser of it
  • In a pan, take 1.5 cup cream, sugar and thandai syrup and simmer together while continuously whisking it well
  • Strain the agar agar mixture in it and stir well until it is completely dissolved with no knots or lumps
  • Simmer for 5 minutes and let it cool, make sure you are continuously whisking it while it is on the flame
  • Let it cool to room temperature
  • Whip the remaining half cup cream and when hard peaks form, fold it into panna cotta
  • Now pour this over the strawberry layer and cling wrap again. :et it chill for at least two hours. Make sure the strawberry layer is set before you pour the thandai panna cotta
• Mango Coulis:
  • Blend in a jar all the ingredients of mango coulis
  • Simmer on a medium gas and bring to a boil. It will be of thick consistency already by now
  • If it is all blended well, no need to strain it
  • Upon cooling, layer it on top of panna cotta and cling wrap again
  • Freeze it to set the layer
• This fusion of Indian and Italian dessert is ready for garnish – do as you like with strawberry mango, mint leaves or with dry rose petals and dry fruits!
• Serve chilled and enjoy!

Note:

• If you are making it ahead of time, you can keep it in the refrigerator overnight fully covered

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