Sunday, October 03, 2010

Tiramisu of my own


Joy of Baking is my site to go to for non Indian desserts, my inspiration. However due to personal choices I have to make adaptations. Tiramisu is such a permissive one. People have started deviating from the once used Zabaglione custard and that is about the evolving food and recipes as mentioned on the Joy of Baking site.

I choose to evolve this recipe and adapt it to my likings and eliminate ingredients that I do not choose to use. I do not want alcohol so will replace it with Orange juice. The Eggs used for the custard are a no no in my household so I'll go for the custard powder instead. Ladyfingers are not found in the Indian market so I used soft powdery biscuits.

Lets see how this recipe plays out. Here is the list of the ingredients of my choice.


Ingredients
 

Soaked Biscuits
20 soft powder biscuits from the local bakery

(They are like Nankhatai, the ones I use here have chili powder and cumin in it and lend a wonderful balance to the sweetness)

2 Oranges
1/3 cup of sugar
2 teaspoon instant coffee (I used Nescafe)
1 cup water

Custard
Make 2 cups custard as instructed on the packing. (I used Weikfield)


Fresh cream
200 ml of Fresh cream ( Amul)
1 tablespoon sugar

Topping
Grated Chocolate
1 tablespoon Cocoa powder
Orange Zest

This dessert is really easy to put together and yet lead your guests to sinful bliss. Come follow the steps.

First harvest the zest of 2 Oranges and save them for the garnish. Then on a citrus juicer extract the juice of the oranges. Keep it aside.

Next dissolve the instant coffee and sugar in 1 cup water. Add this to the Orange juice.

Take 4 pieces of fancy drinkware or tumblers. Put 5 biscuits in each one. Now slowly pour the coffee and orange juice mixed liquid over the biscuits. Let them soak for a while. Incase you see the liquid at the bottom and the tip of the biscuits dry turn them over and bring up the wet ends and dip the dry ones in. We cannot soak these biscuits in a different container and transfer to the glasses and they will colapse so we do it directly in the serving glasses.

Now check if the custard you made is cool. Pour it over the biscuits. As you pour the custard will spread to fill the tumbler and the coffee will rise and crawl on the sides giving it a marbled effect.



Next is the fresh cream. Empty the 200 ml of it from the carton into a bowl add a tablespoon of sugar. Beat it with a plastic spatula till peaks are formed. Scoop out the now sweetened fresh cream on to the custard and biscuits.

Finally garnish with grated chocolate and cocoa and sprinkle some orange zest. Chill the tumblers in the fridge for couple of hours.

Hand out the Tiramisu and see the focus with which your guests will scoop it up. It is the smiles that light up their faces that will make your day, I'm sure!

It is creamy, sweet but not too much. There is a hint of Indian spice of chili and cumin in the biscuit and that surprises your taste buds as you least expect it in this one. You will love it.

When I'm hosting a party I never have dessert with the meal and when I have chattering to do. I always keep it for later,
I enjoy such treats when I'm alone in silence and peace. Food is my Therapy.

This post was meant for the anniversary celebration of A Mad Tea Party  I could not make to. It is also to show the way to the ignorant people (I'm assuming this) and also people who  are delibrate in not giving credits to the source. You should know that it is only graceful to acknowledge the source of inspiration. 

If you are creative enough then go tweak the recipe to suit your preferences and the availibility of ingredients in your country or neighboorhood. Atleast readers will appreciate that. Food bloggers are a close community and very inclusive, give credit where required and you will be welcomed with warmth. Read what Anita has to say.

There are others by the name of Gourmet Gurus etc on TV. Most of them are inspired by homecooks like us. In the recent show I saw, Koli Ishtyle flashing on the TV screen and I drew close. The chef created a fish dish that was unique. He baked a fish in a bed of salt, unsusal way of baking, truly. Yet reminded me of my two post Galtarcha Sarga and Buzlela Bagaa.

Next he created a salad with Barik Methi which I have used in Barik Methi Moog Dal . I may try this one sometime. The chef mentioned he had discovered Barik Methi for the first time, he called it Methi sprouts though and was amazed at how low cost they were and yet so healthy.

My family and some friends called up to tell me they remembered me when they watched the show and my Koli Style category on this blog and for exactly those posts of mine. It was very clear the chef and/ or his programming team had been here. However what they did was unique and very creative. I tried to google for a recipe with barik methi or methi sprouts by him and could not find it! I did not find any other link where young methi leaves are featured in a recipe :). Does that make me a unique user? You know the answer.

Hey, I missed the Tea party but I'm definitely supporting Anita in this anti-plagiarism drive. Go over to see who else made it for this Tea party with a cause.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Anjali! I appreciate ur enthusiasm and interest of re-creating a dessert to suit ur taste!

    I have a question, like we have marathi vegetarian books like Ruchira and Annapoorna, do u know any book that provides non-veg recipes from all marathi communities, including koli cuisine? I am aware that you are a vegetarian since many years but if your family knows of any cookery book that mentions koli recipes I would love to know its name. Thanks so much!

    - Priti

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  2. Droolworthy tiramisu, looks yummy..

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  3. Priti thanks for your kind words.

    There is no recipe book yet on Koli cuisine that I am aware of. Sanjeev Kapoor has done lot of Maharashtrian recipes check out if he has an edition.

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  4. you know I always wanted to make tiramisu at home but doing it from scratch scared me...that's a lot of work. but this is a very clever idea anjali. appreciate the way you subsutituted the lady fingers with nankhatai. a must do.

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  5. Oh wow!! Kaay masta tiramisu recipe ahe!! I cant wait to deliver and this gestational diabetes to go away then this one is a keeper, I will definitely try it!!

    And this Koli cooking chef! Too much ahe - his research team must have been surfing the internet for inspiration for his recipes!! How doesnt it bother his conscience!

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  6. Aga Sonia use sugar substitute instead and then u can enjoy :).
    That Chef is atleast creative and has done some thing original atleast in this case. However this selfless internet world is tapped more and more by money makers.

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  7. Oh How did I miss this post of yours. This looks yummy. I dont normally like the Tiramisu...the smell puts me off. But this looks waiting to be eaten...I love the orange & coffee combo. I have to try this.

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  8. Yeah Voyager the Tiramisu in restaurants are always bitter and hence a put off. Try this re, you'll like it OR still better I'll make it for you if you promise to come over.

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