Pistachio pastry cream
(Adapted from cookery website The Kitchn)
Ingredients
6 tbsp milk
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 egg yolk
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp pistachio paste (see note on the left)
1/4 cup whipped cream
Green food colouring, optional
Method
1 In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the egg yolk and mix until it forms a paste.
2 Heat the milk until it simmers. Add a spoonful to the paste and stir well. Add the rest of the milk slowly to the paste, whisking the entire time (or you’ll end up cooking the eggs!).
3 Now transfer the whole mixture into the pan, and heat it on a low flame, stirring constantly until it reaches a custard consistency.
4 Take it off the fire and add the pistaschio paste.
5 When it cools completely, fold in the whipped cream gently.
6 If using food colouring, stir it into the pastry cream now.
7 Cover the surface of the pastry cream with a plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Rose whipped cream
Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp icing sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp rose flavouring
Pink food colouring
Method
1 Whip the cream, and as it thickens, add the icing sugar and keep beating. Once it forms soft peaks, add the rose flavouring and mix well.
2 Swirl in a drop of pink food colouring with a toothpick.
To assemble
1 When the pastry case has cooled, spoon in a thick layer of the pistachio pastry cream — about 3/4th way up.
2 Top with the whipped cream.
3 Decorate as desired (we used dried rose petals).
4 Serve immediately.
Arikadukka
Ingredients
25 mussels scrubbed, de-bearded and washed well
2 cups parboiled rice
4 green cardamom
1 cup grated coconut
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups water
Masala for frying:
3 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp aniseed powder
Salt to taste
Method
1 Open each mussel with the help of a knife and leave to drain.
2 Bring water to boil in a pot, take it off the fire, add the rice and set aside for 30-40 minutes.
3 Drain the rice, add the coconut, onion, cardamom and salt and grind to a coarse, thick paste, adding as little water as possible.
4 Stuff the mussels with the rice paste and steam in a steamer for about three minutes, or until cooked.
5 Once cooled, remove the shell carefully. The mussels will stick to the rice dumpling.
6 Mix the ingredients for the masala with a little water until it forms a thick batter.
7 Dip the mussels in the batter and pan fry in coconut oil until lightly brown.
Kathija Hashim and Aysha Tanya run the blog The Malabar Tea Room