Dine-o-mite: Desi cake walk

Here is a quintessentially Indian tasting dish presented in a modern, contemporary way. It makes for a lovely dessert to offer now that the festival season is upon us. Although it has three distinct components, when they get together, a truly delicious dish is formed.

Summer Kulfi Cake

Ingredients

Peach kulfi
1 litre whole milk (unhomogenised if available)
1 tsp green cardamom finely ground
½ can sweetened condensed milk
200 gm fresh peach puree (keep slightly chunky to match the texture)

Cashew rose dacquoise
200 gm egg whites
400 gm fine granulated sugar
200 gm cashew nuts (kept cold)
10 gm rose water

Raspberry rose gelee
500 gm raspberry puree
150 gm granulated sugar
15 gm gelatin
100 gm pectin-based glaze
1 ml rose water

Method

Peach kulfi
Boil milk and reduce to half of the original quantity. When the milk is reduced as directed, add condensed milk and mix thoroughly.
Stir in green cardamom powder and fresh peach puree and cool. Freeze until firm.

Cashew rose dacquoise
(Note: A tant pour tant means equal parts nuts and powdered sugar and it forms the basis of dishes like macarons.)
Grind the cashews and half the granulated sugar until fine. Pass through a tamis (sieve) to make sure no large chunks remain. Whip the egg whites at medium speed until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar, a little at a time, with the machine running. Whip until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Fold the tant pour tant into the meringue. Spread on a half sheet tray and bake at 250°F (120°C) until meringue is crisp and very lightly browned

Raspberry rose gelee
Bloom gelatin in cold water. Heat the puree, sugar and add the gelatin to melt.
Cool to room temperature and mix the pectin.

Layering:
Place a layer of cashew rose dacquoise in a ring mould lined with acetate paper. Acetate paper is a flexible plastic paper used in baking.
Pour the kulfi mixture until it fills half the mould and freeze. Place a second layer of the dacquoise and fill with remaining kulfi mixture.
Freeze and then top with the raspberry rose gelee. Just before serving top with a grilled peach salad (grilled peaches, candied rose petals, cilantro).

The writer is a chef instructor at School of Culinary Arts, Kendall College