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Ingredients
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Quantity
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|
Shelled – unsalted pistachios
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2 tbsp
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|
Icing sugar
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1 tbsp
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|
White poppy seeds
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1 tsp
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|
Milk
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½ tsp
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|
For the
coconut casing:
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|
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Sugar
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120gms
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Cardamom pods (ground in a grinder)
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5
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Unsweetened desiccated coconut
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120gms
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Canned condensed milk
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4 tbsp
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This recipe is from Gujarat, a state of desert and semi-desert
which runs along India's upper west coast. If there is haute cuisine for
vegetarians, it can be found here. The region's traditional dishes are an
amazing combination of flavours and textures, all based on sound nutritional
principles, with delicious surprises like this version of a sponge roll; the
outside is sweetened coconut and the inside is pistachios. Serve slices of the
roll with fresh lychees for a traditional finish to an Indian meal.
To make
the filling: put the pistachios into the container of a clean coffee grinder.
Grind to a coarse powder. Put the ground pistachios, sugar, poppy seeds and
milk into a bowl. Mix to a paste. Put aside.
To make
the coconut casing: put
the sugar into a small heavy-bottomed pan. Add 4 tablespoons of water. Stir and
bring to a simmer. Cook over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until the syrup
forms a single thread when a little is dropped from a spoon into a cup of cold
water. Remove from the heat. Add the coconut and cardamom. Mix well. Add the condensed
milk. Stir to mix.
Lay a 23 cm piece of cling film on your work surface. While the
coconut paste is still warm, roll it into a thick 9 inch sausage. Put the
coconut sausage horizontally on to the centre piece of cling film and flatten
it to form a rectangle about 9 cm wide.
Roll the pistachio paste into a separate sausage of the same
length. Put the rolled pistachio sausage on the coconut rectangle, slightly
below the centre, a little closer to your end. With the aid of the cling film,
fold the coconut paste over the pistachio paste. Press down on the cling film
to firm up the roll. Now continue rolling, being careful to keep the cling film
on the outside of the roll, until you have a slim "Swiss Roll". Press
down evenly on the cling film to get a neat roll. Let the roll cool and harden
a bit. Remove the cling film and cut crossways into 1 cm thick slices.
Tips
Cardamom is the vanilla of India, used in most desserts and
sweetmeats. If you can't find whole pods, substitute powdered ground seeds
which are more readily available. Only white poppy seeds are used in India,
usually to thicken sauces.
