The creamy topping!

If you are watching your weight and do not want to be tempted with rich creamy food, then it is better that you do not read the following! Cream comes in various forms and I will not be attempting to give you a user’s manual – but - definitely give you some ideas how cream in food can change the texture, the flavour and the look of your presentations.

Think of cream and the first thing that comes in mind are desserts. Justly so! Cream is lovely on cakes, so essential for mousses and puddings and ice creams and even icings like ganache. The novice cook would be fearful of cream as it splits easily on heating but rest assured, with practice and proper guidance this can be overcome. Whipped cream with fresh seasonal fruits is a perfect instant dessert for unexpected guests. Incidentally, the secret of good whipped cream is the quality of the cream that you will use – it should have a minimum of sixty percent fat. The low fat cream (around thirty percent) is just right for gravies, salads and soups. 

Cream in the freezer comes in handy when you have unexpected guests. I love to top up tall glasses of cold coffee with a swirl of whipped cream. In fact I make this eggless tiramisu at a moment’s notice. Soak some cake slices in a strong coffee decoction. Mix thick vanilla custard with some hung yogurt. Add a little whipped cream. Now arrange the cake with custard in multi layers in a glass bowl. Sprinkle some coffee powder on top and refrigerate. It is best served after 90-100 minutes of chilling. 

Cream is also a lovely thing in traditional Indian desserts like the popular Hyderabadi sweet like Double ka Meetha. The bread is fried, soaked in sugar syrup and then topped with rose flavoured cream and loads of nuts. This is one of the reasons why I had said that weight watchers are being forewarned!

If you feel that your vegetable recipe is going wrong somewhere and you would want to salvage it, add cream! I had taken some beans with carrots, peas and cauliflower and could not get the masala right. So all I did was put in some cream, ketchup and cheese and served the creamy vegetables on crisp toast. 

How would I use cream in my kitchen? In makhani gravies…wouldn’t chicken makhani be a nobody without the cream? And soups? They look extremely inviting with a swirl of cream as garnish. In fact, if you are planning to make a creamy soup, add the cream to the soup only at the time of serving. Some salad dressings also do well with cream and hung yogurt. You could give mayonnaise a complete miss. 

Cream smoothens out the flavours with a softness that leaves the palate completely satisfied. In fact, if chocolate is your weakness, then do try this Quick Chocolate Mousse. 

Quick Chocolate Mousse: Whip ¾ cup of rich cream with ¼ cup of sugar till it stands in peaks. Melt 300 grams of grated dark cooking chocolate in the microwave oven at 80% for two minutes. While still warm, add 2 cups of fresh cream, and mix lightly. Then add the whipped rich cream and whisk well. Pour into glasses or cups and allow to set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Sprinkle cocoa powder lavishly on the top and serve chilled.