“The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway” Michael Pollan
Jamun {Wild Indian Java Plum} Mousse … possibly the best way to bid adieu to this humble fruit. I had a bag tucked away in the fridge for long. Forgot about them, and life went on. Then we were at threesixtyone°, The Oberoi, Gurgaon, and along came the silkiest Jamun sorbet ever. It was so pretty too.
Ruchira captured the very essence in her post here … “We were served the amuse bouche next – a Jamun or Java plum sorbet which was so creamy that it felt like silk in the mouth. The tang from the plum along with the roasted cumin and rock salt was extremely light and refreshing.”
Jamuns danced in my head all day. There’s something about the fruit. It’s astringent, and somewhat edgy. You develop a flavour for it. I knew there was to be something jamun made soon. I still remember a sublime jamun mousse we had enjoyed at Sangeeta’s place a year ago. That had white chocolate in it. I had none on hand so was a little unsure if my mousse would hold.
It sure did. Beautifully. This mousse was quite delicious. I wasn’t sure how it would be received by the kids. They took to it quite happily. The daughter was in from uni for the Independence Day weekend. She was happy to be served dessert. It’s funny how she’s suddenly begun appreciating the little things in life! Life teaches you. A lot.
There was a time when we used to forage for jamuns, climb trees, graze knees to shake the branches. Greedily picking jamuns off the ground and stuffing them into our mouths feels nostalgic now. They tasted sweeter, left our fingers and clothes purple. The stains never came off. Those memories will never fade either. There are few jamun trees left to forage now. Thankfully sales in the bazaar have increased since the wild Indian java plum has become commercially viable.
[print_this]Recipe: Jamun {Wild Indian Java Plum} Mousse
Summary: Jamun {Wild Indian Java Plum} Mousse is light, fun and a beautiful way to use produce in season. Use any seasonal berry if you can’t find these. It’s a sublime make ahead dessert option.
Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes {plus macerating, cooling and chilling time} Ingredients:
400g jamun
50g sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
400g low fat cream chilled
50-75g sugar {as per taste}
1tsp gelatin powder
Method:
Toss the jamuns and 50g sugar in a bowl and leave to macerate for a few hours. Crush with fingers to remove pulp.
Place pulp in a pan with sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook to jammy consistency. Cool completely, then blend to a fine puree. Reserve about 1/4 cup for topping if desired.
Warm 25ml cream in a bowl, sprinkle over with gelatin and allow to soften. Cool.
Whip the cream and sugar to medium stiff peaks. Strain the gelatin into the cream and mix. Then gently fold in the jamun puree into the cream. Spoon gently into serving glasses, top with reserved puree and chill for 4-6 hours.
“Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born.”
Erma Bombeck
Mango Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta … this is really delicious, creamy and special. Well anything that has the Indian king of fruits has to be special. Yes, it’s mango season and the markets are literally flooded with luscious fruit. This is just the beginning and it’s going to get better and better.
So when I saw the Panacotta vanilla with passion fruit sauce @ Canela kitchen, I knew it was panna cotta time on PAB, the perfect dessert for Mother’s Day! I love the stuff my sweet friend Gloria from Santiago churns out, and this recipe was different from any I had seen before.
Who doesn’t love a good panna cotta, one of the easiest and yummiest desserts that the Italians offer the world? Infinitely versatile, beautiful to serve, eggless, make ahead … and oh-so-satisfying! It’s easy to run out of adjectives when trying to describe a dessert well-loved across the globe.
I’ve done several {read MANY} versions of this delectable dessert in the past. Some of my favourites are Bru Coffee Panna Cotta, Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries,Strawberry & Tangerine Quark Panna Cotta with Oatmeal Florentines, Dark Chocolate & Orange Panna Cotta, Mousse-a-cotta, Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta and Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta … see didn’t I say M.A.N.Y.
As you can see, Panna Cotta holds a really special place in my heart. I love how easily it comes together, how infinitely you can play with flavours and how stunning it looks. Use seasonal fruit, or a favourite liqueur to add some oomph, or just simple vanilla bean to tease the taste-buds. You could also try a dairy free version with coconut milk and cream. Mmmm…The Mango Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta was sublime, a celebration of all good things in life. It’s a good dessert to salute the toughest job in the world. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there.
Other Mother’s Day desserts on PABBittersweet Chocolate Marquise with Crème Chantilly & Balsamic Cherry Sauce Espresso Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
[print_this]Recipe: Mango Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
Summary: Delicious, creamy, sublime, indulgent and simple, Mango Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta is a great make ahead dessert option. Made with pantry staples, you can use any seasonal fruit that you like. Alternatively, make a vanilla bean panna cotta and serve with fruit on top, or drizzled with a fruit coulis. Serves 8-10
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes plus chilling Ingredients:
50ml milk, lukewarm
2tsp gelatin
500ml low-fat cream {20-25%}
1 tin sweetened condensed milk {approx 400ml}
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
2 mangoes, peeled, diced {approx 500g net}
Fresh mint to garnish
Method:
Sprinkle the gelatin over lukewarm milk and leave to stand for 5 minutes to soften.
Place the condensed milk, cream and scraped vanilla bean in a heavy bottom pan and whisk to blend. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a bare boil. Take off heat and whisk the gelatin mixture in well. Strain and allow to cool to room temperature.
Reserve 3/4 cup diced mangoes for topping. Divide the rest between the serving glasses. Gently pour the cooked cream over.
Refrigerate for 4-6 hours {preferably overnight} until set.
Top with the reserved diced mango and garnish with fresh mint.
