Custard apple or Sitaphal is one of the extraordinary winter fruits growing from medium trees all over India. The fruit has a green, spiny texture from the outside, covering the soft, creamy fruit inside with seeds. Each spine of the custard apple carries the flesh covering the seed. After ripening, only the flesh of the custard apple, which is whitish, is eaten either raw or as various kinds of desserts.
Custard apples also have different nutritional value used to fight diseases, strengthening our immunity and digestive system. While the Custard Apple or Sitaphal is known as a winter fruit, it has qualities that extraordinarily showcase the winter enthusiasm and sweetness of every cold winter morning.
The taste of it is very addictive, and with the right balance, it is simply the most loved fruit to be eaten all over India in the winter season. The more ripe it is, the more easy and soft it will be to break apart. The seeds of the fruit are not edible and are usually used for plantation.
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Let us take a tour of 7 unique custard apple deserts to brighten your brunch. Try all seven before the seasonal fruit disappears until the next season. Don't miss out!
1. Custard Apple Barfi
Barfi is one of the most favorite sweets served on various occasions. Imagine the playfulness of Barfi and the extra creamy flavor of custard apple combined. Sounds delicious, right? Custard apple Barfi is made of milk, custard apple extract, and vanilla essence and served with chocolate syrup or nuts.
Custard Apple Barfi is a delicate dish with balanced sweetness and creamy texture. Too much sweetness or too much creaminess can ruin the texture and the essential flavors the dish holds. One can also chocolate dip the Barfi to maintain bitterness, balancing the sweetness to perfection.
2. Custard Apple Cheesecake
Custard apple cheesecake is a mix of two very different flavors combined to give a taste of heaven. Every bite of this cheesecake will melt in your mouth and leave you wondering about the sweet custard apple flavor as if you are tasting real fruit in the form of cake.
The fluffiness from cheesecake will enhance the flavor and texture, making it a wholesome dessert after every brunch. Custard apple cheesecake is a perfect dessert after a light brunch. It will not only hit the sweet spot but it will also keep you full until dinner.
3. Custard Apple Rabdi
Custard apple Rabdi is the taste of elegance and royalness in every bite. The desert is made with patience and sheer concentration, perfectly timing each step to make it into the goodness of creamy heaven.
Custard apple flesh or extracts are added to the milk while slowly boiling it into this sweet dessert, making every bite worth it. The Classic taste of Rabdi with saffron and cardamom infused with custard apple gives up the perfect balance of creamy taste and the sugar rush you are looking for after brunch to hit the spot.
4. Custard Apple Kheer
Kheer is simply one of the most classic and popular desserts ever. No matter the occasion, be it brunch, snack, or dessert, it fits perfectly in every category. Kheer is a rice-based dessert infused with the strong flavors of cardamom.
Custard apple Kheer is served with nuts such as cashews and raisins. Each bite is perfectly balanced with creaminess from milk and the fruit with a cardamom kick. Custard apple is also used as one of the alternatives to sugar in this desert. People with high blood sugar levels can also enjoy this delicacy as the dessert without fear.
5. Custard Apple Jelly
Anything can be made into Jelly. A perfect dessert option for kids who are picky about food, Jelly can be playful and jiggly while tasty and flavourful. Making custard apple Jelly is crucial to the taste as the fruit extracts are very delicate and difficult to handle.
Alternative to the original fruit, one can also look for custard apple essence or artificial flavorings to make it into a jelly for a quicker process. Overall, custard apple Jelly is extremely sweet and has a watery creamy consistency similar to thick custard for your kids to enjoy.
6. Custard Apple Kulfi And Gulab Jamun
There is always room for dessert; it is never too sweet to finish a brunch on a sweet note. Custard apple Kulfi is one of India's most popular and loved flavors that one can try. There are various custard apple Kulfi flavors, such as custard apple pista kulfi, chocolate custard apple Kulfi, and many more.
Cold custard apple Kulfi with hot Gulab Jamun makes the Perfect Combination of a dessert after brunch. The Kulfi is not too sweet but has a fruity tropical flavor with the cream as custard apple balances the extra sweetness of hot Gulab Jamun, making a hot and cold consistency for your taste buds to dance.
7. Custard Apple Kalakand
Kalakand is one of the simplest yet elegant desserts to make in your house. Kalakand only requires 3 to 4 ingredients to turn into a tasty treat and dessert. One can also use the fruit directly into the dish by adding the flesh of custard apple with milk and paneer while mixing the batter.
One can also add different kinds of toppings to it, such as cashews and pistachio, to enhance the taste. Custard apple can also be used as an alternative to sugar to make it fruity and delicious. Every bite of this dessert will make you feel at home.