Pandan Panna Cotta with Mango and Passionfruit

As Christmas is coming around the corner, I know most of my friends are getting ready for celebration. How do you celebrate this year? Me, I might cook some special dishes or go for parties. I won’t feel a Christmas dinner be a fulfillment if without any dessert. I think this special dessert, pandan panna cotta will suit Australia’s hot Christmas. Yes, I know, panna otta is a well-known Italian dessert, only cooked with milk and cream. I tried to add an exotic twist by infusing the custard with the delicate fragrance of the pandan leaf. By mixing the Australian mangoes in season with tropical passionfruit, the taste of the dessert turned out to be so unique and super delicious.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp gelatine powder
• 250ml milk
• 100 ml coconut cream
• 70 gm caster sugar
• 2 stalks pandan leaves, tied in a knot
• 300 ml pouring cream

Mango & passionfruit:

• 2 mangoes, cut into cubes
• 6 passionfruit pulps
• Mint leaves, to garnish

Method:

1. Put 3 tablespoons of water in a bowl. Sprinkle gelatine powder evenly over. Leave the gelatine to sponge and swell.
2. Add the milk, coconut cream, sugar and pandan leaves in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavours. Be sure not to boil the milk. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for another 10 minutes. Discard the pandan leaves.
3. Add in the sponged liquid to the warm milk and stir until completely dissolved. Strain the milk into a bowl through a fine sieve and chill in fridge until half set.
4. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. No need to beat too long. Gently fold the whipped cream into the milk mixture and pour into six jelly/custard moulds. Refrigerate until completely set.
5. Combine the mangoes and passionfruit and mix well.
6. To serve, briefly dip the base of the moulds into hot water, then turn the panna cotta out onto individual serving plates. Drizzle with mango and passionfruit and garnish with a mint leaf.

Notes:

• I was not able to find any fresh pandan leaf here, so just used the frozen one. Still good in smell though.
• If anyone can’t get any pandan leaf, substitute 1 teaspoon of pandan essence in the milk mixture to give a kick if desired.

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