SAFFRON CARDAMOM COTTAGE CHEESECAKE WITH A MILLIONAIRE CRUST

 
 
 
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With a crunchy base and a sweet creamy topping, this is about as East by West as it gets! The earliest incarnation of a cheesecake is said to date back to ancient Greece. I like a German-style cheesecake, oven-baked and not too sweet.

Perfect for a special occasion, my version incorporates the beautiful Indian spices of cardamom and saffron to provide a refreshing alternative to the more traditional options of chocolate, vanilla or lemon. If you’re sensitive to the flavour of cardamom, try adding less the first time you make this. The base is made from toasted gram flour, which makes it deliciously nutty, without the heaviness of nuts. This base is also used for making the Cardamom Millionaires (see East by West page 104).

In terms of a new taste sensation, this is possibly my favourite cheesecake recipe ever, and it tastes as good as it looks! It is beautifully rich and full in flavour so is best served in small slices — with plenty of gratitude and mindfulness. You can find this recipe in East by West page 212.

 

INGREDIENTS

4 medium eggs, separated
100g (1⁄2 cup) light jaggery, finely chopped
400g full-fat cottage cheese or homemade paneer (see page 254)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Generous pinch of sea salt
Seeds of 12 cardamom pods, ground
1 large pinch strands of saffron, infused in1 tbsp very hot water
Edible flowers, to serve (optional)

For the millionaire crust

150g (11⁄4 cup) gram flour
Seeds of 6 cardamom pods, ground
100g (1⁄2 cup) jaggery, finely chopped, or coconut sugar
100g (1⁄2 cup) ghee or butter, plus extra for greasing pinch of sea salt

METHOD

  1. Grease and line an 18cm (7in) springform tin with baking parchment. Make the millionaire crust by following the method on page 104. Spread the mixture into the tin, and press it down evenly using the back of a metal spoon. Let the mixture cool for about an hour in the fridge.

  2. Preheat the oven to 170oC (150oC fan/gas mark 3). To make the filling, place the egg yolks and jaggery in a food processor and blend for about 2 minutes until pale and well combined. Add the cottage cheese, vanilla, salt, cardamom and saffron mixture and blend again until completely smooth.

  3. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the mixture in four stages, using a metal spoon.

  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes until golden and just set. Loosely cover the cheesecake with baking parchment for the last 30 minutes if it’s turning very dark. Remove and leave to cool to room temperature. The base is a little crumbly but beautiful. Decorate with flowers, if desired, and serve.

 
CELEBRATION, SWEETS, VEGETARIANJasmine Hemsley