Mango Panna Cotta

Make the most of the lovely sunshine before the weather change – typical London weather – and indulge in this refreshing and creamy mango panna cotta. It is fairly easy to make and once you nail it, you can swap out mango for coffee, strawberry and other fruits. 

You will need gelatine to get the panna cotta to the right jelly consistency so I use this halal bovine gelatine (you can purchase a similar one here ← affiliate link) or agar strands, which is available in most supermarkets. 

If you can get your hands on alphonso mangoes right now, you’ll need to peel, slice and blitz them in a food processor/blender until they become a puree. I cheated and used sweetened mango pulp (like this) that you can buy in every supermarket. The pinch of cardamom breaks up the sweetness and for some reason, reminds me of Ramadan!

MANGO PANNA COTTA RECIPE

INGREDIENTS
570ml mango pulp
Pinch of cardamom powder
1tbsp caster sugar * (see notes)
2 halal gelatine sheets ** (See notes)
400ml heavy cream
150ml whole milk
60g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence or a vanilla pod split lengthwise
3 halal gelatine sheets ** (see notes)
Garnishes: pistachios

METHOD

1. Put the gelatine leaves for the mango pulp in a bowl with 6tbsp of cold water for 10 minutes or until the leaves soften.
2. Place the pulp in a pan over low heat and sprinkle in the sugar. Stir until it is dissolved and remove from the heat. 
3. Once soft, remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze out the excess. Place the gelatine in the mango mixture and stir until the gelatine has dissolved in. 
4. Place the glasses, tipping slightly, on a cupcake tray and pour in the mango mixture. Put in the fridge to set. 
5. Put the gelatine leaves for the vanilla panna cotta in a bowl with 6 tbsp of cold water for 10 minutes or until the leaves soften
6. In a pan over low heat, pour in the cream, milk, and sugar, and stir. Add in the vanilla, stir, and let it come to a boil before removing from the heat. 
7. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine sheets and stir into the cream mixture, making sure it dissolves. 
8. Remove the glasses with the set mango from the fridge and pour in the vanilla mixture. Place the glasses back in the fridge and leave for a few hours to set. 
9. Once the panna cotta has fully set – no jiggling – and you’re ready to serve, remove from the fridge and sprinkle with crushed pistachios. 

NOTES

* Taste the sweetness of the mango puree/pulp before you add in any extra sugar. If it is sweetened already, you may not need to add in much sugar. 

** The halal gelatine sheets I use come in halves so I would need to use 2 of these sheets to make up 1 full gelatine sheet.