East meets west

This is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of this mélange of two equally popular desserts from different corners of the world. Gulab jamun is from the east and cheese cake from the west. Few days back I was thinking to add a different dimension to popular Indian desserts and was experimenting by combining them with the classical western desserts, and then this dish came to my mind. Even the thought of creating this unique dessert gave me the confidence that this recipe will work out to be a good one and will taste good too. When I tried this recipe it came out real nice on first attempt and tasted absolutely delicious. Then I gave it to my guests for the feedback and they too were happy to taste it. Taking about combining different foods, fusion food is a trending concept in the culinary world. Popular food dishes are being paired with locally available ingredients or recipes and thus new dishes are created to increase the acceptance and demand for those dishes in the local market. The best example that I can cite are the western food chains who, in order to grow their market in India, are pairing their dishes with the Indian ones so that they can match up to the expectation of Indian taste buds. I won’t name any particular pizza chain, but if you visit any of their outlets in India you will find paneer-based pizza, kadhai chicken pizza and chicken tikka pizza on their menu. So the idea is to develop and deliver the taste of pizza along with the local dishes as toppings so that people will accept them faster. My today’s recipe is also inspired by this concept of west meets east, where cheese cake is flavoured with gulab jamun.  Cheese cakes are classic elegant desserts and they simply spoil you with the choice of variations available — with this variation with gulab jamun they will surely leave a positive mark on your belly and mind. When you place small pieces of gulab jamun between the cheese cake, the resulting combination is simply delightful. The creamy, cheesy and delicate flavour of the cake paired with the unique and rich flavour of gulab jamun with a hint of saffron is like a made-for-each-other combination. Gulab Jamun Cheese CakeIngredientsFor cheese cakePhiladelphia cheese 280 gmIcing sugar 80 gmEgg 2 noCastor sugar 40 gmFlour 30 gmCooking Cream 50 mlVanilla extracts ½ tspFor the baseBiscuit 150 gmButter 2 tbspFor gulab jamunGulab jamun mix 200 gmMilk 100 mlOil to fry (500 ml)For sugar syrup    Water 1 litSugar 1 kgGreen cardamom 3 podsSaffron few strandsGarnishFresh fruits to garnishMethodIn a heavy bottom pan, heat water and sugar along with cardamom pod and saffron strands.Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from flame and keep aside.For the gulab jamun, combine the gulab jamun mix and milk to make soft dough.Allow to rest for 10 minutes and divide the dough into equal sized balls. Heat oil for frying in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.Fry the prepared balls over medium heat to a golden brown colour.Once the balls are golden brown remove from oil and soak in the prepared sugar syrup and keep aside.In a clean and dry bowl combine cheese, icing sugar and cream together till light and fluffy.Separate the egg white and yolk and whip the egg white to soft peak with castor sugar and keep aside.Add egg yolk and cooking cream to the cheese mixture and mix gently, do not over mix. Add sifted flour and make a smooth mixture.Add the whipped egg white to the above mixture and mix using cut and fold method.Grease a cheese cake ring with butter and keep aside.Crumble the biscuit with melted butter to get a crumbly mixture.Line the ring with this mixture and press with fingers to form a base.Place the prepared gulab jamun in the cake ring.Pour the prepared cheese cake mixture in the ring and tap on table to remove any air bubbles.Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160 degree Celsius for 45-50 minutes in a tray filled with water to bake it with steam.Remove from the oven and allow it to cool down; refrigerate for 2 hours.Slice as required, and serve cold garnished with whipped cream and sliced fresh fruits. Note: If you want to make the process simple you can buy the readymade gulab jamun either freshly made or the tinned ones easily available in the market.