Culinary Chemistry

This was the first dessert that my MIL taught me. It is so simple and refreshing that it has become a permanent dessert for parties in our house. Usually after a sumptuous main course in any party, ppl struggle to eat dessert but this payasam is so tasty and smells so good that no one can resist it. It is full of nutty goodness from the badam and cashew nuts and attractive orange color of carrot.Many of our friends even take a mug home.Also, most importantly no one can mess up this recipe and this was great for me especially when I was a scared novice cook!!:-))

Anyway with out much ado let’s go to the recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients

2/3 cup Badam

1/3 cup cashew nuts

4-5 carrots peeled

6 cups milk

1 tin of 5 fl. oz Nestle carnation condensed milk

1/4 cup sugar

5-6 cardamom pods powdered coarsely

4-5 saffron strands

Pressure cook the carrots in 1/2 cup milk until one whistle. Microwave the badam in one cup of water for about a minute and peel it. Once cooled, grind the carrot, badam and cashew nuts to a smooth paste. In a saucepan add all the milk and the paste and simmer for about 20minutes. Do not let the milk boil and keep stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Once the mixture reduces to 2/3rd the original amount, add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the condensed milk and switch off the stove. finally garnish with the ground cardamom and the saffron strands.

tips:

1.Adjust the amount of sugar according to taste

2. One can use only badam and carrots

When I started this blog after much procrastination, I emailed all my friends and invited them to post recipes in the website so that all of us could have a sneak preview of all the dishes cooked in everyone’s kitchen :-)).My only condition was that each recipe should be accompanied by a great photograph. Today I received my first response, from our friends Shankar and Gayathri. Shankar is one of the rare breed of Indian men who actually likes cooking and spends time in the kitchen concocting new recipes. When I was a novice to cooking and needed help with a recipe or wanted a handy, simple recipe, I used to call him and he would alway rise up to the occasion and dredge up a dish from his inexhausitible supply. Of course the end result was always wonderful for me!. Last year he got married and his better half is also as innovative and interested in cooking as him. In other words two die hard foodies came together!:-))…It was a match made in heaven!! She even shares his dream of opening a restaurant some time in the future. Good luck to both of them on that. I am sure whenever it happens it is going to be a roaring success.

Anyway the advantage for my blog was that not only is Gayathri a great cook but she also clicks great photographs. So yesterday she sent me this fantastic recipe for the Strawberry cheese cake with this fabulous photograph. she had made it for their house warming party last week. Thanks Gayathri for sharing this yummy recipe!

Here goes the recipe.

This recipe is for 10-12 persons.

Ingredients:

- 40 lady fingers, crumbled in the food processor

- 1/4cup butter, melted + 1tsp to grease the pan

- 8oz Philadelphia softened cheese cream

- 8oz Sour Cream

- 1/4cup whipping cream (liquid)

- 3 eggs

- 3/4cup + 2 1/2 Tbs sugar

- 2 1/2 Tbs all purpose flour

- 1 lemon zest

- frozen strawberries (let them sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving)

1. Mix the butter and the crumbled lady fingers together. Grease an 8 inch spring pan with the remaining tsp of butter and cover the base with the crumbled biscuits+butter. Tap it with a flat surface to make it level. Keep it in the fridge.

2. Separate the white from the yolk. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Keep aside.

3. Beat the egg yolks and the sugar together. Beat the cheese cream in the food processor till you have a very smooth consistency. Add it to the yolks+sugar. Pour in the sour cream,the whipping cream and mix well with a hand mixer. Now add the flour and the lemon zest, stir well. Add gently the stiff peaks to the mixture.

4. Preheat your oven at 335 F. Fill the spring pan with the preparation. Lift the pan and drop it on the table a couple of time to release any trapped air. Put it in the oven and bake for 1h15mn.

5. When done, switch off your oven, run a knife around the edges of the cake and leave it inside the oven for another 30min (door open). This will prevent the cheesecake from forming a dimple in the middle. Now let it cool down to room temperature and refrigerate for 4hrs minimum!

6. Serve the cheesecake topped with strawberries. Enjoy!