Layered Mango Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta is a popular Italian dessert which means “cooked cream”. It is easy to make and the process involves no complications that are usually associated with making desserts. All you need to make panna cotta is a setting agent, lots of time and a whole lot of love!

Mangoes are the seasonal delights during Indian summers. So I set out to make this mango panna cotta which has  a layer of mango and a layer of panna cotta. The setting agent I have used is gelatin powder (easily available in supermarkets). This dessert sets by a combination of the gelatin and refrigeration. Do plan for it keeping this in mind. Now let’s see how to make this.

• Servings: 4-5
• Time: 5-6 hrs/overnight
• Difficulty: medium
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Ingredients

For the mango layer

1. 3 medium-sized mangoes
2. 1 1/2 tbsp. of unflavoured gelatin powder
3. sugar as required
4. warm water

For the panna cotta

1. 250 ml milk
2. 250 ml cream (Amul cream works fine)
3. sugar as required
4. 2 tbsp. of unflavoured gelatin powder
5. 2-3 tsp of vanilla essence
6. a pinch of salt
7. 4-5 moulds/glasses for setting the panna cotta

Directions

The main thing to remember is you need lots of time for this dessert. Make sure the mangoes are sweet and juicy to avoid adding too much sugar

Step 1: Prepare the mango layer

Heat a little water and when warm add the gelatin powder to it and mix with a spoon. Set aside. Extract the pulp of the mangoes with a spoon and puree in a blender. Add a little sugar if required. Add the dissolved gelatin to this mango puree.

Now this mango puree-gelatin mixture has to be poured into the moulds for setting. I have used glasses and tilted them for an interesting twist (see image below). To do this, I balanced each glass in a tea cup at an angle. Then I poured the mango mixture till it fills half of each glass.

Once the puree is equally divided into the moulds/glasses, place the assembly on a tray (flat surface) and pop them into the fridge for setting.

This mango mixture will take 2-2.5 hrs to set in the fridge.

Step 2: Panna Cotta

Once the mango layer is set or almost set, we start making the actual panna cotta layer.

Start by heating a small amount of water and adding the gelatin powder to it when warm. Mix and set aside.

In a deep bottom pan/saucepan heat the milk. In a separate bowl pour all the cream and give it a quick whisk to remove lumps. To the milk, add this cream while stirring. Add the sugar (as per taste), the dissolved gelatin and the vanilla essence. Add a pinch of salt. Keep stirring till the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and keep it aside to cool down.

Once it is cooled, pour it into the moulds/glasses to fill them till the brim. Put the mould/glass assembly back into the fridge to set for another 2-3 hours.

Step 3: Garnish and serve

Once both the mango and panna cotta layer are firmly set, its time to serve. If you are using moulds, you can unmould the panna cotta onto a plate or you can serve directly in the glasses.

Chop some mango into little cubes. Top the layered panna cotta with the mango cubes and a drizzle of honey (optional).

Your panna cotta is ready!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQsZsP-jreP/?taken-by=svkgsh%5B/recipe-directions%5D%5B/recipe%5D

This is an easy to make set and frozen dessert with minimal ingredients. It tastes creamy and delicious with a hint of the fruit used.

Some Tips

1. If the cream appears to be too thick (Amul cream for e.g.), mix two spoons of the heated milk to loosen it before adding to the pan
2. You can set this in the fridge overnight if planning for the next day
3. Garnish with berries or pomegranates for the pop of colour
4. If you are serving on a plate, unmould the panna cotta by dipping the mould in warm water for a few seconds. The panna cotta should have a silky surface and a slight wobble!