Independence Day pe kuch meetha ho jaye... But don't plan for one dessert when you can have three in one.

Chef Rajesh Paramashivan's Tiranga Cheesecake combines the scrumptiousness of Philadelphia cheesecake with motichoor barfi, with which it is served.

If you wish for the motichoor barfi to be more indulgent, fry the boondi in ghee. It will elevate the taste and leave your guests asking for several plates more.

Chef Rajesh, who earned his diploma from Sathaye College, Mumbai, spends his working hours dabbling with all things sweet.

 

Tiranga Cheesecake

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

For the mousse cake

• 250 gm Philadelphia cream cheese (substitute with regular cream cheese) 
• 250 gm fresh cream
• 200 gm white chocolate, melted
• 10 gm green elaichi or cardamom seeds, powdered

For the motichoor barfi

• 250 gm besan or chickpea or gram flour
• Pinch baking soda
• 90 ml water
• Few strands kesar or saffron
• Oil for deep frying
• Gold vark, optional

For the sugar syrup

• 200 gm sugar
• 100 ml water
• 2 green elaichi or cardamom
• Few strands kesar or saffron
• 50 ml rose water

For the chocolate slabs

• A large slab, about 500 gm, white chocolate, melted and divided into three parts
• 4-5 drops green food colour
• 4-5 drops orange food colour 

To assemble

• Pistachios
• Edible flowers along with their stems, available in some gourmet grocery stores (jasmine and roses are edible flowers)

Method

For the mousse cake

• Gradually add the cream to the Philadelphia cheese and whisk until smooth.
  Then add in the melted white chocolate, cardamom powder.
  Whisk further.
  Transfer into a small rectangular bowl (about 4 inches by 2 inches) and chill in the fridge.

For the motichoor barfi

• In a bowl, combine the besan along with a little of the water to form a smooth batter.
  Add more water if required. 
  Add the saffron strands.
  Add the baking soda and whisk.
• Heat oil in a kadhai or frying pan over medium-high heat.
  When the oil is hot, pass the besan mixture through a perforated ladle to get tiny boondi-shaped balls.
  Let the boondi fry in the oil for a few minutes till crisp.
  Drain onto a paper towel or tissue-lined plate.
  Keep aside.

For the sugar syrup

• Boil the water in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
  Add the sugar.
  Add the saffron strands, rose water, cardamom.
  Keep stirring until the sugar melts and until you get a one-string consistency syrup (please see the note below).
  Take off heat.
  Add the boondi balls to the syrup and let it rest for an hour.
  Using a jharia or strainer or skimmer ladle, remove the boondi from the syrup and keep the boondi aside.
  Once it cools, transfer into a rectangular container (about 4 inches by 2 inches).
  Spread out the boondi evenly and press it down so it sticks together.
  Keep aside to harden.

For the chocolate slabs

• Melt the slab of white chocolate carefully in the microwave or in a double boiler and divide it into three bowls.
  In one portion add the orange food colour.
  In the second portion add the green food colour.
  Let the third portion remain white, with no added food colour.
  Keep a few tsp of each mixture aside for assembling the dessert later, and spread the balance of each of the portions of melted chocolate onto three separate trays, creating thin layers.
  Let it set in the refrigerator.

To assemble

• Spread the reserved coloured melted chocolate on a flat serving plate, the best you can, to make a base for the dessert.
  Allow it to set in the fridge.
• Once the white, orange and green chocolate slabs have set in the trays, cut it into thin rectangles (about 4½ inches by 2½ inches).
  Keep aside.
• Take the serving plate out of the refrigerator.
  Place the motichoor boondi rectangle on one end of the serving plate.
  Garnish the boondi rectangle with gold vark on top.
• Create a tiranga stack with the green, orange and white chocolate slabs and place pieces of the Philadelphia cheesecake in between, and place on the serving platter next to the motichoor rectangle.
  Garnish with edible flowers.
  Scatter some pistachios around the serving plate and serve.

Editor's Note: A one-thread syrup is sugar syrup viscous enough to pass the one-thread test.

It is important to keep testing for consistency while the sugar syrup is boiling.

The test for this is: Dip a spatula, preferably wooden, into the boiling sugar syrup and take out. Some syrup would have coated the spatula.
Let it cool a little. Touch the cooled syrup with your forefinger. Some syrup will come onto your finger.
Touch that with your thumb and separate thumb from forefinger.
When one little continuous delicate thread is formed by the syrup, when the coated forefinger is pulled away from your thumb, you have one-thread consistency sugar syrup.

Chef Rajesh Paramashivan is the pastry chef at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach.