The tangy sweet pineapple flavour enveloped by the almost negligible tartness of the blueberries blended in quietly with the sweetness of the coconut milk and this spoonful of delight just melted in my mouth. My layered pineapple blueberry coconut milk Panna Cotta was an instant success!
I love and enjoy making desserts with agar agar. It is fun to create layers of different colours and flavourings. This is a fusion dish that I created by combining rice phirni with pineapple and blueberries. Rice phirni is traditionally made with whole milk, cream and coarsely ground rice. By adding agar agar to it I gave it a panna cotta texture similar to the pineapple layer.
Ingredients:
For the white layer
1 can coconut milk
1/2 can condensed milk
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp rice flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup agar agar ground fine.
1/2 cup water
For the pineapple layer
1/2 a ripe pineapple ground
1/4 cup agar agar
1/2 cup water
A few blueberries
Sugar to sweeten as per taste
Instructions:
1. Combine one can of coconut milk, sugar and half a can of condensed milk, in a sauce pan and on medium heat bring the milk to a boil.
2. Meanwhile combine the rice flour and water and whisk well to avoid lumps.
3. In another pan boil the 1/2 cup of water. Once it boils, immediately lower down the heat. Add the ground agar, stir well to dissolve until it becomes transparent. Leave it to simmer while you quickly prepare the phirni.
4. Now on medium heat add the runny rice flour paste to the boiling milk mixture in the sauce pan while continuously stirring till it thickens.
5. At this stage strain and add the agar agar solution to the phirni. Check the sweetness and adjust the sugar then quickly drop a little of the phirni on a cold plate and wait for a minute to see if it sets, if it doesn’t then cook a bit more but only at a steady low to medium heat. If you keep raising and lowering the heat too much, there is a chance of the milk curdling, so you have to be careful. When you see the mixture thickening and a drop of it sets quickly on the plate, switch off the stove and pour the phirni panna cotta in a clean glass dish or a metal walled plate. Allow it to set.
6. While it is setting prepare the pineapple layer. Blend the pineapple, strain and heat the juice in the sauce pan. Add sugar to sweeten as required.
7. In another sauce pan dissolve the agar agar in 1/2 a cup of boiling hot water.
8. Strain and add the agar agar solution to the pineapple juice on medium heat and stir till the mixture thickens. You many test again by dropping a little on a cold plate to see if it sets. When the right consistency is reached remove from the stove and slowly layer it on the phirni which is probably half set by now. Drizzle the pineapple mixture very slowly and gently so that it doesn’t get mixed up with the phirni.
9. Now quickly add the fresh blue berries to the pineapple mixture and spread them out evenly. Or you can lay them in a design or pattern as you wish. Allow the panna cotta to set completely and then chill it in the fridge. Cut into squares or shapes and enjoy.
Recipe
Pineapple and Blue Berry Rice Phirni Pannacotta
Ingredients
For the white layer
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2 can condensed milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 tsp rice flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup agar agar ground fine.
- 1/2 cup water
For the pineapple layer
- 1/2 a ripe pineapple ground
- 1/4 cup agar agar
- 1/2 cup water
- A few blueberries
- Sugar to sweeten as per taste
Instructions
- Combine one can of coconut milk, sugar and half a can of condensed milk, in a sauce pan and on medium heat bring the milk to a boil.
- Meanwhile combine the rice flour and water and whisk well to avoid lumps.
- In another pan boil the 1/2 cup of water. Once it boils, immediately lower down the heat. Add the ground agar, stir well to dissolve until it becomes transparent. Leave it to simmer while you quickly prepare the phirni.
- Now on medium heat add the runny rice flour paste to the boiling milk mixture in the sauce pan while continuously stirring till it thickens.
- At this stage strain and add the agar agar solution to the phirni. Check the sweetness and adjust the sugar then quickly drop a little of the phirni on a cold plate and wait for a minute to see if it sets, if it doesn't then cook a bit more but only at a steady low to medium heat. If you keep raising and lowering the heat too much, there is a chance of the milk curdling, so you have to be careful. When you see the mixture thickening and a drop of it sets quickly on the plate, switch off the stove and pour the phirni panna cotta in a clean glass dish or a metal walled plate. Allow it to set.
- While it is setting prepare the pineapple layer. Blend the pineapple, strain and heat the juice in the sauce pan. Add sugar to sweeten as required.
- In another sauce pan dissolve the agar agar in 1/2 a cup of boiling hot water.
- Strain and add the agar agar solution to the pineapple juice on medium heat and stir till the mixture thickens. You many test again by dropping a little on a cold plate to see if it sets. When the right consistency is reached remove from the stove and slowly layer it on the phirni which is probably half set by now. Drizzle the pineapple mixture very slowly and gently so that it doesn't get mixed up with the phirni.
- Now quickly add the fresh blue berries to the pineapple mixture and spread them out evenly. Or you can lay them in a design or pattern as you wish. Allow the panna cotta to set completely and then chill it in the fridge. Cut into squares or shapes and enjoy.
You may also like:
DoorStep Cake
Yummy 🙂 Please try to share in Video format that will be great helpful for us.
Fouzia Husainy
Sure. Thank you.
Raushan
That looks amazing, Fouzia Husainy!
One of my Muslim friends brought rice phirni and it was so tasty. Well, I love this recipe and I will surely give it a try… Giving 5 star to this delectable rice phirni pannacotta.
Fouzia Husainy
Thank you so much. I am sure you would love it. Let me know how it turns out. I would appreciate your feed back.
Chef Markus Mueller
This sounds refreshing! A nice tropical dessert, perfect for summer! I don’t use coconut nearly enough in my cooking but love the idea of pairing it with blueberries!
Fouzia Husainy
It is indeed a refreshing dessert especially for summer and pairing the coconut milk with blueberries kicked it up a notch!
Bernice Hill
I love your flavour combinations here! I’m curious, because I’ve never used Agar Agar and I’ve heard that it is difficult to get pineapple to set with regular gelatin. Does it set well with Agar Agar?
Fouzia Husainy
Thank you Bernice. Yes, of course. I have no problem setting pineapple with agar agar at all. I use it with all the fruits and mango is the best.
Gabrielle @ eyecandypopper
This is so interesting, I’ve never heard of this before but I love all the various ingredients and flavours. Pineapple and coconut milk sounds delicious!
Fouzia Husainy
Yeah, the coconut pineapple combo was actually very delicious. We loved the flavours and enjoyed it. Thqnk you.