[5th contest] Mango Falooda

Mango Falooda

Details

Servings: 2

Total time: 2 hours

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Additional time: Chilling for 1 hour

Shelf life: 3-4 days in the refrigerator

Ingredients

Mango puree - 1 cup

Agar agar powder 1 Tbsp

Milk/ Nondairy alternative - 2 cups

Sugar - 2 Tbsp

Cornstarch - 2 Tsp

Cardamom powder - a pinch (optional)

Instructions

1. Add 1 Tbsp Agar agar powder to 1 cup of mango puree and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring frequently. You can use store bought mango pulp or make it from scratch by putting chopped mango pieces in a blender and making a smooth paste. Add some sugar if the pulp is too sour or not sweet enough.

2. Turn off the stove as soon as it boils and pour into a container or mould to set. I used a 4”x8” glass baking dish. Keep it in the refrigerator until it sets (about 1 hour).

3. Demold and place the mango jelly block on a flat surface. Using a grater with small holes, grate the jelly block. Press the grater on one end of the block and drag it towards you in one single motion to get long noodle-like strands. Repeat this till you have the required amount of noodles. I used up about three fourths of the block to make noodles and cut up the remaining block into small cubes.

4. Heat milk or any nondairy alternative of choice in a saucepan. Add 2 Tbsp of sugar. Bring it to a boil. Make cornstarch slurry by dissolving 2 Tsp of cornstarch in a little water and add it to the hot milk. Keep stirring until the mix thickens. Add a pinch of cardamom powder and mix well. The cardamom powder gives a wonderful aroma to the mix, however you can skip it or add some vanilla extract instead. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down. Refrigerate it if needed.

5. For the final Step, pour some of the prepared milk mix into a bowl. Carefully place the mango jelly noodles. Garnish with some slivered almonds and rose petals (optional).

About Chef

Name

Pratibha Kemtur

Story

I am an Indian living in the USA and mom to a 2 year old. My kitchen experiments revolve around making yummy and healthy food for my family.

My recipe of Mango falooda takes me back to my childhood, when I would enjoy ripe, juicy mangoes straight out of the tree at my grandparents house! The taste and aroma of mangoes can take any recipe to a new height!

The first time I ate falooda was when I was in 7th grade and I still remember the rich taste! Traditionally falooda is made with rose flavoured milk to which fine vermicelli and fruit jelly is added. My version is slightly different as I wanted to incorporate mango flavor instead of rose. And since I didn’t have the special kind of vermicelli in hand, I decided to try a little experiment with agar agar noodles! The mango, milk and cardamom merge together to give this falooda a beautiful tropical and Indian flavor which reminds me of my childhood days!