With Christmas almost here, our houses might now have the delicious aroma of baking plum cakes, cul-culs, rose cookies, puddings, and roast turkey/chicken, wafting through the air. However, why not try something different this time and go for local favourites, particularly from Goa? From Serradura with Feni Soaked Cashew Nuts to Dodol and Dry Fruit Roll, we present to you some amazing dessert recipes shared by popular chefs from Goa:
1. Balaji Srinivasan, Executive Chef – Cidade De Goa’s Serradura Cheese Cake
Ingredients
Cream cheese – 20 gms
Milkmaid - 50 gms
Whipping cream – 200 gms
Agar Agar / Veg gelatin powder – 6 gms
Milk Amul Taza (tetra pack) – 50 ml
Marie biscuit – 50 gms
Tata salt – 1 gm
Raspberry coulis – 3 gm
Method
In a bowl, add cream cheese, Milkmaid, and whipping cream. Whisk till smooth.
Add milk and continue to whisk slowly. Add gelatin and salt.
In a separate container, crush the biscuits till they are a fine powder. Grease a cake tin and add the biscuit crumbs.
Add the cream mixture to it and tap on the table to ensure no air bubbles.
Refrigerate for three hours. Remove and cut into triangles.
Top with the Raspberry coulis and serve chilled.
Also read: Chef Aditi Handa shares flavourful recipe, must-have on chilly winters
2. Jose Thomas, Executive Chef - Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa’s Serradura with Feni Soaked Cashew Nuts
Ingredients
Vanilla extract - ½ tsp
Marie biscuits - 16 nos.
Condensed milk - ¼ cup
Double cream - ½ pint
Cashew nuts - 16 nos.
Cashew Feni - ½ cup
Method
Soak the nuts in Cashew Feni, preferably overnight.
In a bowl, add the double cream and whip till soft peaks are achieved.
Gradually add condensed milk along with vanilla extract. Mix well.
Set aside in the refrigerator to set for ten minutes.
Crush Marie biscuits into a fine powder.
Assembly
In your desired serving dish, begin with a bottom layer of crushed biscuits. Follow with a layer of the whipped cream mixture.
Add half the amount of soaked cashew nuts (strained).
Repeat the process till the serving dish is filled.
Serve cold, garnished with a layer of crushed biscuits and fresh fruit.
3. Avinash Mhapsekar, Sous Chef – Taj Resort & Convention Centre, Goa’s Pistachio and Chocolate Doce
Ingredients
Bengal Gram (split) - 250 gms
Desiccated coconut - 200 gms
Granulated sugar - 450 gms
Green Cardamom (powder) - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1.5 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Milk chocolate, for coating - 100 gms
Pistachio (sliced) - 50 gms
Method
Soak the grams in sufficient water for 3-4 hours. Discard the water and pressure cook with two cups of water and salt until tender.
Once the pressure settles down, discard any excess water. Once cooled to room temperature, grind cooked grams into a smooth paste (refrain from adding any water).
Separately, grind the desiccated coconut into a fine paste.
In a heavy-bottomed, dry pot, add the gram paste, ground coconut and sugar. Keep stirring continuously for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
Add ghee and cardamom powder, reduce the heat to low. Continue to stir until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and almost comes together to form a soft dough.
Make small round balls of 25 gm each (like hand-rolled truffles).
Dip each in tempered milk chocolate and coat generously with sliced pistachio.
4. Dwipen Goswami, Executive Chef – Vivanta Goa, Panaji’s Dodol And Dry Fruit Roll
Ingredients
For Shortcrust pastry:
Refined flour - 120 gms
Butter - 65 gms
Castor sugar - 20 gms
Vanilla essence - 5 ml
Chilled water (as required)
For Stuffing
Dodol (cut into small cubes) – 150 gms
Mixed fruits - 50 gms
Cinnamon powder - a pinch
For Glaze
Milk - 25 ml
Castor sugar – 5 g
Method
Rub butter and flour together, and gradually add sugar.
Add vanilla essence and sufficient chilled water to form a dough. Keep the aside to rest in the fridge for three hours.
For stuffing, mix all ingredients well.
Roll the chilled dough into medium thickness and cut into rectangle sizes (3 inches × 5 inches).
Place the stuffing mixture at one edge of the sheet and roll the pastry into a cylindrical shape.
Preheat the oven to 180 C for 10 mins.
Place the rolled pastry on a greased tray. Brush the rolls with milk wash for the glaze. (milk wash – dissolve the sugar with the milk gently.)
Bake for 20 to 25 mins at 180 C and serve warm or at room temperature.