Recipe: Curry Ice Cream

MasterChef Australia Season 13 contestant Pete Campbell's Curry Ice Cream could be the next big thing on the culinary scene.

The Indian spices it is flavoured with pack a mighty punch -- whew!

It is innovatively served with sweet pineapple granita and crunchy peanut coconut crumble.

Photograph: Kind courtesy MasterChef Australia

Curry Ice Cream

Serves: 6

1 cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp jeera or cumin seeds
2 tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
2 tsp sonf or aniseed
12 green elaichi or cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 cups thickened cream
1 cup milk
60 gm ginger, cut into slices
20 gm fresh haldi or turmeric, finely grated
2 sprigs curry leaves
2/3 cup caster sugar (a kind of finer sugar manufactured by top baking brands)
6 egg yolks
Sea salt to taste

For the pineapple granita

For the peanut coconut crumble

Method

Pre-chill the ice cream machine.
Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 180°C.

For the curry ice cream

Combine the coconut and spices in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
Shake pan continuously to dry roast until very fragrant and coconut is golden.
Add the cream, milk, ginger, turmeric, curry leaves and salt to the pan and heat until just below simmering point.
Take off heat.
Combine the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until pale.
Whisk some cream mixture into the egg mixture.
Repeat, then whisk all of the egg mixture into remaining cream mixture.
Return saucepan to medium heat and stir continuously with a silicone spatula until the mixture reaches 83°C (ideally use a cooking thermometer which is availabe for purchase online).
Strain the mixture through a muslin cloth, squeezing firmly to extract all the liquid and the flavour of the spices.
Place liquid in a bowl set over ice and cool. Season with sea salt as per taste.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions and then place ice cream into the freezer until needed.

For the pineapple granita

Peel pineapple and lime. Cut into chunks and pass through a juicer.
Add the coriander and mint leaves to the juice and process with a hand blender.
Pass through a fine sieve into a shallow tray.
Place in the freezer and scrape with a fork every 15 minutes until you achieve the fluffy consistency of a granita, ie shaved flavoured ice Italian style.
Reserve in the freezer until required.

For the peanut coconut crumble

Place all the ingredients, except the lime zest, into a food processor and process to a coarse crumb.
Spread crumb in an even layer over a lined baking tray and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.
Shake tray halfway through cooking to ensure even browning.
Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely.
Mix lime zest through and season with salt to taste.

Serving

Spoon some of the crumb into shallow serving bowls and top with a quenelle (scoop) of the curry ice cream.
Spoon the pineapple granita over the ice cream and serve immediately.