Cardamom Panna Cotta with Pistachios and Rose Syrup

Panna cotta is one of my favorite desserts for 3 reasons. One – the texture is to die for. A properly made panna cotta has a smooth, creamy texture that just melts in your mouth. Two – it is so easy to make. There is no special technique involved in making it. As long as you get the ratio of ingredients right, you will have yourself a creamy dessert a few hours (of refrigeration) later. Three – you can customize the flavour however you want. I have made so many variations of panna cotta over the years – chocolate, coffee, strawberry, coconut, the list goes on.

Today I’m sharing with you my recipe for cardamom panna cotta, inspired of course by my Indian heritage. Now you can serve this as is, and it would be a really good dessert. But if you want to take it up a notch, I definitely recommend the rose syrup. The rose syrup complements the cardamom beautifully. I mean, there must be a reason why this combination is used in so many Indian desserts, right? And don’t forget the pistachios! They add color, texture and a lovely nuttiness to the dish.

Cardamom Panna Cotta with Pistachios and Rose Syrup

Recipe by NaziaCourse: DessertCuisine: Indian, Italian, FusionDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Chilling Time

8

hours

An Indian take on the classic Italian panna cotta, where it is flavoured with cardamom and topped with pistachios and rose syrup.

Ingredients

• Panna Cotta:

• 250 ml heavy cream

• 125 ml milk

• 3/4 tbsp gelatin powder

• 1.5 tbsp water

• 4 tbsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

• Rose Syrup:

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• 2 tbsp water1/4 tsp rose essence

• 1/4 tsp rose essence

• 1/4 tsp lemon juice

• 1 drop pink gel food colour (maybe even less)

• To garnish:

• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios

Directions

• Make the panna cotta: Fill a small pan with the water and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside for 10 minutes so that it can bloom. In a larger pan, heat milk, cream, sugar and cardamom powder on medium low, stirring occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved. Once it comes to a boil, immediately remove from heat. Now place the small pan with the bloomed gelatin on low heat and cook until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Add the gelatin to the cream mixture and stir well. Strain the mixture to get rid of large pieces of cardamom and lumps of undissolved gelatin if any. Allow to cool completely and pour into 4 individual bowls or ramekins. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
• Make the rose syrup: Place all ingredients together in a clean saucepan. Use a toothpick to add a little swipe of food colour. Only a little bit is required. Heat the ingredients in the pan until the sugar is fully dissolved. Let the syrup thicken slightly before taking it off the heat. Let cool completely.
• To serve: Dip the bowls in hot water for a few seconds and quickly invert onto a plate. Pour some rose syrup over each panna cotta and top with some chopped pistachios.

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