By Ratna
We had snow twice already. It didn’t stay though. The garden is now full of yellow leaves some naked branches, an errant flower in a corner in between a bunch of dead stems. The raspberry patch is a different story altogether. These autumn raspberries are flourishing everyday like rebels. The fruit heavy branches bowed downwards, swaying sideways with gentle wind…
Navaratri or nine nights is celebrating the feminine form of the divine. Devotees partake food with no grains for each of these nine days. Sabudana which is granules made from Tapioca root is an acceptable form of nutrition.
I was looking for ways to use up my raspberries. I made a syrup from them and layered this with the Sabudana pudding. A nice garnish on top, and voilla, we had fusion dessert here.
Recipe:
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
Sabudana ( Tapioca pearls ), washed with water 1/3 cup
Coconut milk ( Can from Aroy D ) 2 cups
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
Raspberries washed 2 1/4 cups
Sugar 1/3 & 2/3 cup
Cornstarch 2 Tbsps
Water 1/2 cup
Coconut slivers few to garnish
Method;
Mix the cornstarch and water into a lump free slurry. Put the raspberries in a blender and make a puree. Take this puree, cornstarch mixture and 1/3 rd cup sugar in a pan over medium heat. Make it into a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Put the gas off.
Boil the Sabudana with half cup water on a medium flame till soft, about 7 minutes. Add the coconut milk, Cardamom powder and 2/3 cup sugar. Simmer on low medium flame for about 20 minutes, stirring sometimes. The Sabudana will turn translucent, some will blend in the milk, thickening it. Turn the gas off.
You can serve it hot. I assembled it in layers. Garnish with a few whole Raspberries and Coconut slivers.
Inside Scoop;
Sabudana can be purchased from Indian grocery store.
The botanical name for Tapioca is Manihot Esculenta Crantz syn. Utilissima.