Mango Panna Cotta

Mango Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk, sugar then mixing it with gelatin and allowing it to cool and set...it is served topped with  fruits, chocolate or chopped nuts...

Had read about this dessert and even checked out quite a few different recipes for the same...had also in my bookmarked list for an amazing looking mango panna cotta, but at that time it was not mango season here in India...and so it remained buried in my to do lists all this while....

Now the hot summer days are upon us...and mango season in full swing...this year's influx of mango has been reasonably good in terms of price and well as taste and quality...so we have all been relishing it.

T had also taken a trip to A'bad and bought back with him the most popular ras kairi, i.e. Kesar ( mango used mainly for it's pulp ). Along with Kesar kairi, his aunt also sent across leichi ( which is a paper thin roti, made in pairs then separated and folded ) - this goes very well with ras ( mango pulp ). A big thank you to G aunty....it was a delicious treat.

Well, we had a few Kesar's left and the most easy option was puri ras, but then T had some friends coming over to meet us, and I thought why not try this new recipe - though generally I am wary to try out new stuff with guests - you never know how it might turn out... right? - and then what do you do?....but then decided that with cream, milk, sugar and mango as it's main ingredients - there was not much that could go wrong...at the most it may not set properly - in that case it would be some form of ras, puddingy...thing...sort of thing...and since the taste is divine we could still eat it...



So here's how I went about this ( an amalgam of 2-3 different recipes ) ...

Ingredients:

2 Kesar mangoes - skinned, deseeded and pulp removed
1 cup milk
200 ml cream - used Amul cream pack - this is almost 1 cup
2 and 1/2 tsp gelatin
4 Tblspn water
1/4 cup sugar ( could use a couple of Tblspns more if more sweet is required )

Method :

1) Blend the mangoes with 1/4 cup milk to get a smooth paste.
2) Mix the gelatin with water and keep aside.
3 ) In a saucepan warm the remaining milk, cream and sugar. Then add the mango/milk mixture and blend thoroughly.
4) Reduce the heat and then add the gelatin mixture into it and mix again.
5) Remove from stove and let it cool - then pour mixture into one large serving bowl or into individual ramekins or desert dishes.
6) Let it cool outside before covering it and cool in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Serve cold with chopped mango as topping...could add nuts or even chocolate if you prefer.
Enjoy !!!

It is so simple to prepare and looks so professional and elegant - I have mine cooling in the fridge - had a taste of it ( had to check that it had turned out alright didn't I ? ), so now here I am waiting impatiently for the evening ahead...hope my guests like it too...

So now here's an update - the evening was great fun - had a good time ...the dessert - mango panna cotta a great success...will definitely be on my list of  sweets now...