Sweet or savoury, the versatile pistachio can be used in a variety of delicacies, lending a unique and rich flavour to them. Here are 5 pistachio dishes you must try. Sweet or savoury, the versatile pistachio can be used in a variety of delicacies, lending a unique and rich […]
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Sweet or savoury, the versatile pistachio can be used in a variety of delicacies, lending a unique and rich flavour to them. Here are 5 pistachio dishes you must try.
Sweet or savoury, the versatile pistachio can be used in a variety of delicacies, lending a unique and rich flavour to them. Pistachio trees, belonging to cashew family, is said to have originated in Central Asia and Middle East and Iran remains the largest producer of pistachio nuts. Pistachio like many other nuts is a storehouse of wonderful nutrients and many studies done over a period of time have corroborated its benefits of lowering cholesterol, increasing good cholesterol, controlling blood sugar levels and keeping heart diseases at bay. According to one study, when eaten with high-carb foods such as white bread, may actually slow the absorption of carbs into the body. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and E, pistachios fight inflammation and reduce risk of several diseases. Experts at Pennsylvania State University claim that they help lower blood pressure and heart rate. (Also read: National Almond Day: 4 healthy and delicious almond recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth)
On the occasion of National Pistachio Day, here are 5 healthy and tasty recipes of pistachio you can enjoy.
1. KIWI, PISTACHIO AND CARDAMOM CUSTARD
(Recipe by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa)
Ingredients
Custard powder - 15 gm
Milk - 150 ml
Sugar - ¼ cup
Few drops vanilla extract
Cardamom pods - 4
Water - ¼ cup
Caster sugar - ½ cup
Green edible food colour - few drops
Kiwis peeled and cut into halves - 10-12
Pistachio kernels, roughly chopped - 1 ½ cup
Pomegranate - 1 cup
Method
- Combine water and sugar in small saucepan over low heat for making syrup, cook stirring continuously until sugar dissolves.
- Add half cut kiwis, roughly chopped pistachio and cardamom to syrup, and let it boil for 5 minutes on low flame till kiwis can be mashed, stirring continuously to avoid burning. Remove it from the heat. Keep it to cool down.
- In another saucepan, mix custard powder and sugar in little milk. And boil the remaining milk for 10 minutes. Add 2-3 drops of green food colour to it as per your liking. Pour the boiled milk to custard and sugar mixture.
- Take a tall glass, pour the custard mixture in it, now put the cool kiwi mixture on top and add vanilla extract. Add few pomegranate seeds.
- Garnish with chopped pista and add milk.
- Keep it in a freezer (for better taste) or let it cool down for some time at room temperature.
Unique Kiwi, pistachio and cardamom custard is ready to serve.
2. GULAB PISTA KULFI
(Recipe by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa)
Ingredients
Sugar - 100 gm
Full cream milk - 500 ml
Corn flour - 50 gm
Cardamom powder - 2 gm
Almond chopped - 30 gm
Gulkand - 20 gm
Rose water - 10 ml
Fresh cream - 150 ml
Rose petal - 05 gm
Poppy seeds soaked - 20 gm
Cashews chopped - 10 gm
Melon seeds - 10 gm
Pistachios, blanched - 20 gm
Chocolate sauce - for garnishing
Few drops pink edible food color (optional)
Method:
- Heat milk in a pan over medium low flame; let it boil for 10 minutes. Add sugar and stir well. Let the milk boil until sugar dissolves completely. Add corn flour into the milk and whisk well to dissolve completely.
- Reduce the heat to low and keep stirring for 10 minutes. Once the milk has thickened, add cardamom powder, almond and gulkand. Stir until the gulkand is combined well. Add cream, pistachio and rose water, mix well. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
- In another pan, heat sugar and milk. Add few drops of pink edible food colour when sugar dissolves in milk. Turn off the flame. Combine almonds, pistachios, soaked poppy seeds, cashews, melon seeds, rose petals and a little milk to make a paste.
- Add the earlier mixture into this pan and combine everything well.
- Turn off the heat and let the kulfi mixture cool. Now pour the kulfi mixture in kulfi mould , cover it and freeze for at least 6 hours or till the kulfi is well set.
- Now take out the kulfis from the mould with the help of a knife. Spread some chocolate sauce over the kulfi, garnish with rose petals, pistachio and serve.
3. PISTA RIBBON COOKIES
(Recipe by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa)
Ingredients
Butter (unsalted) - 425 gms
Sugar - 230 gms
flour - 550 gms
Pista (chopped) - 100 gms
Strawberry syrup - 1 bottle
Salt - to taste
Method:
- Mix cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy.
- Sieve flour and salt
- Fold flour into creamed butter gradually, add chopped pista. Let it stand at 1-4 degree centigrade for 60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180 degree centigrade. Roll cookie mix and cut into desired shape.
- Bake at 180 degree centigrade for 15-20 minutes.
- Take out the cookies and coat it with strawberry sauce when they are still hot, garnish it with some pistachios. Let it cool down for a while. Enjoy!
4. Textures of Pista Praline
Ingredients
Pistachio paste – 50 grams
Whipped cream – 200 grams
White chocolate -200 grams
Chopped pistachio-20 grams
Gelatin -8 grams
Cream cooking-20 grams
Method
• Boil cream and pour it on chocolate , Allow it to melt then add bloomed gelatin into the mixture
• Add whipped cream and pistachio paste and mix well.
• Roast your chopped pistachio and add into the mixture, Mould the mixture as your desired shapes and freeze for overnight.
• Take it out of the mould and use as per your convenience
4. PISTACHIO CRUSTED SALMON WITH CELERIAC PUREE & BABY VEGETBALES
(Recipe by Abhijeet Bagwe, Executive Chef, Novotel Mumbai International Airport)
Ingredients:-
FOR THE SALMON:
8 Salmon Fillets (each about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Shallots, minced
1 tablespoon Of parsley, minced
1 tablespoon Of thyme, minced
2 tablespoon Of pista, minced
1 small Lemon, Juiced
Salt and Pepper, to taste
½ cup Dry White Wine
Baby carrots 4no
Brussels sprouts 2no.
Asparagus tips 4no.
FOR THE PUREE:
2 Medium Celeriac (Celery Root), peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large, sweet apple, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small onion, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
3 tablespoons butter
⅓-1/2 cup heavy cream
2½ teaspoons whole grain mustard
FOR THE MASH:
- Celery root, apple, and onion in a pot and cover them with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain.
- Celeriac in a food processor and add in the coconut palm sugar, butter, cream, and mustard. Process until smooth and creamy. *note that the mixture may be slightly runny - it will thicken up slightly as it sits.
- Add salt, pepper to taste, and serve with the salmon.
FOR THE SALMON.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Coat the bottom of a 9x13" pan in olive oil. Place the salmon fillets in the pan (do not place them so close together that they are touching.
- In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, shallots, thyme, parsley, pistachios and lemon juice.
Season the salmon well with salt and pepper.
- Coat the top of the fillets with the Pista & herb mixture, covering all surfaces of the fish.
Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until salmon is just cooked through in the middle.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chopped parsley over the tops of the fillets.
- Peel, boil & sauté vegetables to serve with the salmon.
5. Mutton Aur Pista ki Gilawat
(Recipe by Abhijeet Bagwe, Executive Chef, Novotel Mumbai International Airport)
Ingredients
500 grams mutton, minced
3 teaspoon brown cashew, paste
2 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)
1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
1 Onion, chopped
2 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper powder
2 tablespoon Gram flour (besan)
Mint Leaves (Pudina), a handful
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Ghee
Oil as required, to shallow fry
Method:-
- To begin making the Mutton Galouti Kebab, first take a big bowl and mix the minced mutton, lemon juice, papaya paste, ghee and salt in a bowl and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
- In a blender add rest of the ingredients one by one - onions, ginger garlic paste, gram flour, mint leaves, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala and black pepper powder. Blend it well with little or no water.
- Once all these ingredients have ground and combined well, add in the minced meat and blend well for second time until all ingredients combine well and is a smooth texture.
- Transfer it in a container with a lid and refrigerate overnight or for 8 hours. This helps in the mutton absorbing all the flavours of the spices.
- Take out this mutton mixture from the fridge after 8 hours and prepare patties and keep it ready on the plate.
- Heat a grilled iron pan with some oil to coat the surface. Place the Kebabs/patties and shallow fry on medium to low flame for about 10 on each side of the Kebab. Fry the remaining kebabs too and serve hot.
- Serve Mutton Galouti Kebab along with Dhaniya Pudina Chutney.
