By Suprita Mitter
July 2, 2024
It’s plum season and Indian desserts incorporating plums offer a delightful twist to traditional flavours, blending the sweet-tart taste of plums with the sweet, rich, aromatic ingredients typical of Indian sweets.
This is a unique take on the traditional Indian halwa. Made with ripe plums, semolina or flour, ghee, sugar, and a touch of cardamom.
Phirni is a creamy rice pudding that gets an exciting makeover with the addition of plums. Cooked rice is blended with milk, sugar, and plum puree, then flavoured with saffron and cardamom.
Kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream, becomes even more delectable with the inclusion of plums. Plum puree is mixed with condensed milk, cream, and sugar, then frozen in moulds.
Rabri is a thickened, sweetened milk dessert often flavoured with cardamom and saffron. Adding plum puree to rabri introduces a fruity twist to this classic dessert.
Shrikhand is a yoghurt-based dessert popular in Western India. By mixing hung curd with plum puree, sugar, and a hint of cardamom, you get the creamy Plum Shrikhand.
While not a traditional dessert, Plum Chutney made with fresh plums, sugar, spices, and a dash of lemon juice, can be served as topping for ice creams and cakes.