Kesar paneer kali
Saffron paneer in rose syrup
Saffron paneer ovals poached in rose syrup and filled with cherries and pistachio
Kesar paneer kali are oval sweets of soft home-made paneer coloured with saffron, poached in light rose syrup and soaked overnight, then split and filled with cherries and pistachio. They're spongy, juicy and delicately floral. Serve them chilled; the book's photo shows them topped with a swirl of whipped cream too.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the paneer
- 6 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- ½ tsp citric acid
- 4 oz plain yogurt½ cup
- 1 pinch yellow food colouring
- 1 pinch saffron3–4 drops saffron essence or a few soaked strands
For the syrup
- 4 ¾ cups water4½ cups
- 9 oz white sugar1¼ cups
- 2 drops rose essence
For the filling
- 10 red glacé cherriesdiced
- 3 tbsp flaked pistachios
- whipped cream (optional)to decorate
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Make paneer: bring 6 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil, stirring. Add ½ tsp citric acid and 4 oz plain yogurt, stirring, until the milk curdles and the whey turns clear (see the paneer recipe).
10 minStep 2: Pour into a muslin-lined colander and drain well, squeezing out the whey, until the paneer is moist but not wet.
30 minStep 3: Knead the paneer in a chopper until completely smooth.
Step 4: Add 1 pinch yellow food colouring and 1 pinch saffron and knead well.
Step 5: Shape into 12 ovals about 5 cm long, smooth with no cracks, and keep aside.
Step 6: Make a light syrup: boil 4 ¾ cups water and 9 oz white sugar in a wide pan.
5 minStep 7: After 5 minutes, add 2 drops rose essence and simmer for another 10 minutes.
10 minStep 8: Add the paneer ovals and boil for 10 minutes; they'll swell a little.
10 minStep 9: Take off the heat. When cool, cover and leave the kali to soak in the syrup overnight in the fridge.
480 minStep 10: Next day, lift them out of the syrup and cut each one three-quarters of the way through lengthwise.
Step 11: Fill with 10 red glacé cherries and 3 tbsp flaked pistachios, and pipe a little whipped cream on top if you like. Serve chilled.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kesar paneer kali take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of citric acid?
- Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tbsp white vinegar per tsp (for curdling milk).
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