Normal is boring

Try a gulab jamoon cheese cake or khova crumble pie instead

gulab jamoon cheese cake

Gulab jamoon cheese cake

Ingredients

Gulab jamoon: 90 gm

Cream cheese of paneer:

120 gm

Crust

Digestive biscuits crumb:

100 gm

Butter: 30 gm

For cake mix

Skimmed milk: 125 ml

Condensed milk: 75 ml

Corn flour: 15 gm

Agar Agar: 15 gm

Skimmed milk yogurt:

200 gm

Rose essence: 1 teaspoon

Castor sugar: 180 gm

For topping

Gulab jamoon:

1 tablespoon

Method

Crush biscuits to a coarse powder and put it into a bowl. Add butter and mix. Put this mixture at the base of a spring form pan (loose bottom pan) lined with greaseproof paper.

Press the mixture lightly and place it in the refrigerator to set. Heat milk in a pan. Add condensed milk and mix. Dissolve corn flour in a little milk and add it to the hot milk. Cook stirring continuously till the mixture thickens. Set aside.

Mix agar agar in a little water and heat in the microwave for one minute. Remove from the microwave and set aside. Take hung yogurt in a bowl. Add paneer and mix with a whisk

Add gulab jamoon and mix again. Add rose essence and the milk mixture. Mix again. Add castor sugar and blend with a hand blender

Pour this mixture into the prepared tin over the biscuit layer. Refrigerate for two to three hours. Cut the gulab jamun into quarter and arrange as desired on the set cheesecake. And chill

Remove from the spring form pan and cut into eight wedges with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and serve.

Khova crumble pie

Ingredients

For filling

Ready made khova: 150 gm

Sugar: 90 gm

Chopped almond: 10 gm

Chopped pistachio: 10 gm

Condensed milk: 60 ml

For short crust pastry

Flour: 125 gm

Cardamom powder: 2 gm

Chilled butter cut into

cubes: 55 gm

Cold water: 45 ml

Salt: a pinch

Method

Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter.

Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining. Try to work quickly so that it does not become greasy. Stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together.

Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 10 to 15 minutes before using.

In a bowl break the khova into crumble, add sugar, nuts and cardamom powder. To make it moist, add condensed milk. Take out the short crust dough, make a small ball, roll the dough and flatten to 4 mm thickness.

Take a pie or tart mould, line the dough, let it flow outside the mould, cover the mould fully and make sure no cracks form.

Scrape and trim the excess dough. Fill the khova filling and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for few minutes.

De-mould the pie, serve hot with ice cream or store for later use. Instructions for filling.

The writer is Executive Chef, Royal Orchid Hotels