Milk Chocolate Cardamom Panna Cotta

Recipe No: 147

A few days back when I was going through my Face book updates I saw one of my friend’s comments on the 801st episode of Feeding Frenzy (NDTV Hindu), which featured a dish  ‘Milk Chocolate Cardamom Panna Cotta’. Well…. this small feature triggered my curiosity to try out how Chocolate will taste when paired with Cardamom… which led to me making the dish within 20 minutes of watching!!!
‘Panna Cotta’ is an Italian dessert which is usually ‘cooked Cream’. The quality of this dessert will depend entirely on the quality of the Chocolate that you are using... and I should say that the taste of Milk Chocolate with a hind of Cardamom really works well..This is the way I made it….

Ingredients                               Makes 5 servings

• Cream…………………………..1 Cup
• Milk.................................1 Cup + 3 Tablespoons
• Gelatin…………………………2 Teaspoons
• Sugar…………………………..3-4 Tablespoons
• Whole cardamom…………..5
• Milk Chocolate……………...3/4 Cup (small pieces)

Method of Preparation

1. Dissolve Gelatin in 3 Tablespoons of cold Milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. By this time Gelatin will be soaked and plumped up.
2. Crush the Cardamom pods really well and mix it with Cream and 1 cup of Milk. Heat it on a medium flame along with Sugar and the soaked Gelatin. Stir continuously.
3. Once boiled, strain it to remove all the Cardamom Pods and pour the Cream mixture back in its cooking vessel. Put it on medium flame again.
4. Mix the Chocolate and stir till it is dissolved well.
5. Pour this in individual dishes or molds and let it chill for about 6-8 hours.
6. If you want to serve it in a plate or take it out of the mold, dip the bottom of the dish in warm Water for 8-10 seconds, run a sharp knife along the edges and place it upside down on a serving plate.  If it is not yet coming out, use a knife to help it come out.
7. Serve with Chocolate or Carmel sauce.

Notes:

• Using Milk Chocolate is not a necessity in this recipe. You can substitute that entirely with Semisweet Chocolate together with ½ teaspoon of instant Coffee Powder and ½ teaspoon of Vanilla extract.
• Don’t add Gelatin directly to a hot liquid as it will lose its gelling property. So always soak it in cold liquid. (here cold milk).
• The amount of Chocolate to be used depends on your taste, but make sure to increase or decrease the amount of Sugar accordingly. 
• I don't like to serve this very cold, as the Gelatin will be very hard. If you are taking it out of the mold, that process will make it soft. But if you are serving it in the mold it self then let it sit at room temperature for some minutes till it becomes a bit soft. (Don't let it become liquid. I take it out of the fridge and microwave it for 8-10 seconds before serving.)

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…