Blancmange Recipe | Food Diaries | Chef Zarnak Sidhwa

Method:
Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet; bake at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes. Cool. Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Heat milk, 1 cup water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks until hot. Stir in almonds. Transfer to a glass dish and let steep, covered, in refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days. The longer the mixture steeps the more flavors the blancmange will have.
Sieve almond milk through a muslin cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Almond milk should be smooth; if any pieces of almond pass through, strain through a very fine sieve. Discard cinnamon sticks. Pour almond milk into a measuring cup, you should have at least 3 cups and add enough of the remaining 1 cup milk to make 4 cups liquid.

In a saucepan, combine cream and 1 cup almond milk. Sprinkle gelatin over top; let stand until softened. Heat almond-milk mixture over low, stirring occasionally, until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir gelatin mixture into remaining almond milk in measuring cup.
Wet a mold in which you will set the blancmange with ice water but do not dry mold (this will make the blancmange easier to unmold later). Strain almond-milk mixture through a sieve into mold to fill. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours or overnight.

To unmold, quickly dip mold into a bowl of hot water to loosen pudding from mold, or use a hot wet towel that has been wrung out. Place a serving platter over mold and quickly invert. Jiggle to loosen; remove mold. Serve topped with nuts and raisins, if desired.

Method:
Heat sesame oil. Add onions and sauté, once golden add curry leaves and lime leaves, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon, chicken and salt, sauté chicken well. Cook till chicken is half done and then add the ground masala paste. Add water, tamarind water, tomatoes, simmer till chicken is fully done and curry is thick. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and rice and papads.

Method:
Peel and chop apples and sprinkle with lemon juice. Boil apples in water with sugar, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon. Simmer till soft and chill. Serve stewed apples with blancmange.