Tropical treat

Rambutan is a South-East Asian tropical fruit, borne in a loose cluster of 10-20. The fruits ripen only on the tree. Their leathery skin is reddish and covered with fleshy, pliable spines. The fruit flesh is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavour. The single seed is glossy brown, with a white basal scar. The seed is soft and crunchy. The fruits are usually sold fresh and used to make jams and jellies, or are canned. Evergreen rambutan trees with their abundant coloured fruit make beautiful landscape specimens. The trees bear fruit twice annually, once in late fall and early winter with a shorter season in late spring and early summer.

Rambutan fruit is rich in sugar, mostly fructose and sucrose, but low on calories. The fruit is packed with vitamin C, some potassium, iron, vitamin A, and a little calcium, magnesium zinc, sodium, niacin, fibre and protein. Around 10-12 rambutan provide 75-90mg ascorbic acid, more than double the recommended daily intake. An essential antioxidant, vitamin C prevents body cells from being damaged by free radicals and helps absorption of iron. The fruit has small quantities of copper, necessary for the creation of white and red blood cells, and manganese, which the body needs to produce and activate some enzymes.

Now for a recipe.

Saffron and Rambutan Panacotta

Ingredients

Fresh cream: 250 ml

Castor sugar: 45 gm

Gelatine: 8 nos

Saffron: 1 gm

Rambutan: 20 nos.

Whipped cream: 75 gm

White wine: 15 ml

Method: In a saucepan, pour fresh cream. Allow it to heat; then gradually add the castor sugar. Cook till the mixture thickens and reduces to half the volume. Put gelatine powder and water in a bowl. Melt the gelatine. Add the gelatine to the cream mixture. Allow the mixture to cool. Add saffron and chopped rambutan pulp to it. After it cools, fold in the whip cream.

Pour the mixture into a shot glass and top it with chopped rambutan and saffron strips macerated in white wine.

Sous Chef

Taj Club House