Masala Chai Panna Cotta

Why does Jelly “gel”?

What is better than a steaming hot cup of masala chaha (marathi word for tea, and no, its not “chai tea”, unless you want to punctuate properly and say chai, or tea) on a cold, rainy, Melbourne afternoon? Eating the chai as dessert !! As a perfect afternoon pick-me-up!

I was idly sitting one afternoon, desperate for a creative outlet, and to get away from hours of aimlessly scrolling Instagram. I was craving tea, but also craving dessert. I finally decided I would like to eat my tea this afternoon. And what better way to eat your tea than as a chai panna cotta? Also, I will gladly accept any opportunity to feed my panna cotta obsession!!

Panna cotta, which literally means cooked cream, is one of the simplest and most delicious desserts. Made with three main ingredients, cream, sugar, and gelatin, it has the creamy consistency of custard, or a milk jelly. Panna cotta is, essentially, a jelly that levelled up. A jelly version 2.0. An angrez jelly… too much? okay! As a kid, every summer vacation, I would beg my mum to make strawberry jelly. I would stare mesmerized at the tiny grains pink packet jelly mix powder. To little me, the whole process, of jelly making was fascinating! a fascination, that has carried well into adulthood. I always wondered how the powdery jelly mix turned itself into a wobbly “jelly”?

My questions were answered when the science of food caught my fancy, and I rediscovered the simple joy of making a jelly, as an adults, cooking in my own kitchen. The question remains however, how does jelly, or in this case a panna cotta, set into a “gel”. The answer lies in the use of gelatin. Or more specifically, the biochemistry of gelatin. Gelatin, is derived from mammalian collagen, and composed of a mixture of polypeptide chains with different molecular weights and compositions.

In a solution of Gelatin, the polypeptide chains of Gelatin molecules exist as helical structures. When the solution is heated the gelatin dissolves in the water, and the helical chains unravel. Upon cooling the mixture, however, the polypeptide chains re-organize themselves into helices. The amino acids within a polypeptide helix can form bonds with amino acids from other helices, forming a complex maze. The helices in the maze also form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, thereby trapping them into one large mass. The result is a wobbly ‘jelly’, formed due to multiple inter and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. This formation, however, is dependent on temperature. Above the critical temperature (approx. 36 degree Celsius for gelatin of mammalian origin), the helical structures start to unfold, the inter and intra molecular hydrogen bonds are broken, and the gelatin molecules now exist in solution as random coils. Unable to hold water molecules, the solution is transformed back into its liquid state. This is why a liquid solution of gelatin needs to be refrigerated to set into a proper “jelly”. The threshold temperature is also responsible for jelly to melt as soon as it is eaten!

Proteins are not the only gelatinizing agent. A jelly can also be made using agar agar, or starches like corn flour. While using proteins as gelatinizing agents, other factors may also contribute to the thickening. For example, adding sugar can strengthen the gel formation. The sugar molecules can additional hydrogen bonds with the water molecules thereby strengthening the gel. If you add cream, like that in a panna cotta, it helps add viscosity and thickens the entire mixture!

Phew!! who knew the humble jelly had so much of organic chemistry hidden within it!! For all its complex chemistry, panna cotta is simple. The mixture of cream and sugar is always delicious, and it provides plenty of room for creative freedom!! It is no bake, and the one dessert that I know works every time. Nothing against baking, but most days I just cannot be bothered to get into the nitty gritty that baking invariable requires. The temperature has to be “just right”, and mixtures have to be “delicately folded” into one another. Well, I hate despise folding (laundry or otherwise), and I am by no means “delicate”. Lastly, I have the best excuse! No fancy equipment required! I don’t own a stand mixer, or a hand mixer. And whisking away cake batter by hand is not my idea of an arm workout!

Another thing that’s also simple, and works every time is chaha (chai, tea). In India, tea is often enjoyed with a Parle- G glucose biscuits. Which brings us to the fabulous biscuit and dried ginger crumb on this chia panna cotta. The complete chai experience as a dessert!! yay! So without further ado, lets jump to the recipe.

Masala Chai Panna cotta

Ingredients: For the panna cotta you will need

• 3 teabags of your favorite tea (please don’t use green tea here). Alternatively, 1- 2 tablespoons of any loose leaf black tea.
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4th cup cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Homemade chai masala. Alternatively, you can also 1/2 teaspoon of store bought chai masala. Or, for a lighter spice note, just add the spices in whole
• 1/4th cup sugar

For the crumb, you will need

• 2 Parle G biscuits. or any other plain biscuits, Arnotts’ milk biscuits, or Lotus biscoff will do as well.
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried, ground ginger (optional)

Method:

1. In about 1/4th cup of water, and add 2 tsp of powdered gelatin into it. Let it sit for 5 to 10 min.
2. In a sauce pan, take one cup of milk and add three teabags of your favorite tea. Alternatively, you can also 1 and 1/2 tbsp. of loose-leaf tea, and bring to a boil.
3. To make the chai masala, grind up all the spices in a mortar and pestle. Add 1/2 tsp of the ground masala, (or store bought chai spice) to the milk. You can also add the spices whole.
4. Let the mixture simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid an let it rest for 5 minutes, After 5 minutes, strain the brewed tea into a cup.
5. Now add 3/4th cup cream to the same saucepan. Let it come to boil on a low flame and keep stirring. Add the sugar and stir. Then add the strained tea and let it all heat up evenly.
6. Turn off the flame. Let the mixture cool down, so that it is still hot but not boiling. Meanwhile grease 4 little bowls (ramekins, whatever you would like to use as “moulds”) with oil.
7. Meanwhile, warm up the bloomed gelatin in the microwave, to ensure that it is dissolved in the water. Add the gelatin to warm the cream and chai mixture, and mix thoroughly.
8. Stir the panna cotta mixture prior to adding it to each of the ramekins
9. Let the moulds cool down a bit more, before refrigerating. Allow to set for at least 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.
10. to make the crumb, take the two biscuits and grind them into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. If you don’t own a mortar and pestle, just put the biscuits in a zip lock bag and bash them up until they resemble a fine crumb, or a coarse crumb!
11. Add the dried, ground ginger, as per your taste, to the biscuit crumb and mix well. I enjoy an exceptionally strong ginger tea and thus I added loads of it!
12. Once your panna cotta are set, sprinkle on top with a bit, or a lot, of the biscuit crumb. Garnish with a cardamom pod! And enjoy a bite of your tea!!

Notes: When using powdered Gelatin, it is important to allow the gelatin to absorb some water and dissolve properly. Not doing so may cause the gelatin to clump up and forms stringy bits when added to the other ingredients.