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Gulkand Panna Cotta with Mukhwas Jelly is a refreshing, unique, rich, creamy, and very easy fusion dessert. Delicately sweet and the influence of rose petals make it a delicious dessert with different textures.
Panna Cotta is my favorite kind of dessert. It has very little cook time, is easy to make and the best part is that I can make it ahead of time. The flavors in this Panna Cotta are perfect for the Holi celebration or any special occasion.
I love experimenting with flavors and creating some unique, delicious, and easy recipes and Panna Cotta is definitely one of them.
This Gulkand Panna Cotta with Mukhwas Jelly is made using some of my childhood favorite ingredients and flavors. It has gulkand, fennel seeds, some mouth freshener, and paan bites. These flavors are so amazing and complement each other so perfectly that you get a feel of having something rich, creamy, rosy, and totally refreshing.
Why make Gulkand Panna Cotta with Mukhwas Jelly
- It is very easy to make
- It is refreshing and so delicious
- Perfect for the festive mood
- Can be made ahead of time
- Has very unique flavors
- Easy to serve in individual portions
- Can be made without Gelatin
What is Panna Cotta?
Panna Cotta literally means cooked cream. It is an Italian dessert with delicate sweetness, smooth texture, and an elegant presentation.
It is made using very few ingredients and is a simple mixture of cream, sugar, and flavoring. Gelatin is added to this mixture to change the consistency and set it into desired shape or mold. Once set the final product is rich and silky smooth.
And a fun fact about Panna Cotta is that it looks and tastes very fancy but in reality, it's one of the easiest and quickest desserts to make.
What is Gulkand Panna Cotta with Mukhwas Jelly?
Gulkand Panna Cotta with Mukhwas Jelly is my take on the traditional Panna Cotta. I have infused the flavors of Gulkand in the Panna Cotta base which is sweet and rosy with a hint of fennel. The flavors are light and you also get the small bites of sweetened rose petals in your bite which provides an amazing texture.
The light and flavorful Gulkand Panna Cotta is topped with equally refreshing and unique Mukhwas Jelly. Flavored with the colorful Mukhwas which is made of fennel seeds, mint, and sugar, and paan bites which are made of betel leaves, gulkand, fennel seeds, and tutti frutti.
Both the gulkand panna cotta and mukhwas jelly complement each other so beautifully that they create magic and surprise you with the blend of flavors.
I love making such mini desserts for parties. They are easy to serve and can be made in advance giving you one less thing to worry about at the last minute. Some of my favorites include Cadbury chocolate panna cotta and New York-style mini cheesecake.
Ingredients for Gulkand Panna Cotta
Gulkand - You will need a good quality gulkand for this recipe. You can find the gulkand in any Indian store or even on amazon. I have bought it on amazon in the past. Gulkand is a rose petal preserve and is often used as a coolant during the summer season.
Heavy Cream - A high-fat content heavy cream will give you a nice and creamy texture.
Whole Milk - Always use whole milk for panna cotta. Using 2% or less percentage milk will result in watery and less rich panna cotta.
Sugar - Regular granulated sugar works best.
Food Color (optional) - Pink gel food color for the nice pink look.
Gelatin/Agar Agar - I have used powdered gelatin in this recipe however you can always use Agar Agar instead for the vegetarian version. I have explained below the usage of Agar Agar in the FAQ section.
Ingredients for Mukhwas Jelly
Mukhwas - Mukhwas is a colorful mouth freshener from India that is made with fennel seeds that are coated with mint-flavored sugar and some flavored sugar granules or balls. I like using the light pink or orange-colored version of mukhwas as it complements the color of panna cotta.
Paan Bites - Paan bites are small bites of paan mix like chopped betel leaves, gulkand, fennel seeds, tutti frutti, and some sugar crystals. They are usually packed in silver foils. If you can not find paan bites you can use Kolkata masala mix which comes in a packet in a bottle. This gives the jelly a little paan flavor.
Sugar - Just regular granulated sugar.
Gelatin/Agar Agar - Gelatin or agar agar helps in setting the panna cotta and gives the panna cotta a creamy texture.
Water
Pink Food color (optional)
How to make Gulkand Panna Cotta
Firstly take a small glass bowl with 4 tablespoons of cold water. Sprinkle the Gelatin into the water and stir it and then let it bloom for 5 to 10 minutes.
Take a saucepan and add Milk, Heavy cream, gulkand, and Sugar to it. Heat the mixture on medium heat/flame. Keep string the mixture at regular intervals to avoid burning the bottom. This will also help dissolve the sugar.
Heat the mixture till the sugar is dissolved and tiny bubbles appear at the rim of the liquid. Shut the heat off immediately. We do not want the liquid to boil over. Just make it hot enough to dissolve the sugar and gulkand and incorporate it well with milk and cream.
Once it is off the heat add 2 to 3 drops of pink color to it and mix it well. This is totally optional but recommended for a nice look.
When the mixture is still hot add the bloomed gelatin to it and stir it well till all the gelatin dissolves.
Pour the liquid mixture into the shooter, glasses, or molds and keep it in the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Once the gulkand panna cotta layer is set we can work on making the mukhwas jelly.
How to make Mukhwas Jelly
Again take a small bowl with cold water and sprinkle the gelatin and stir it well. Set it aside to bloom for at least 10 minutes.
Take a saucepan and heat up the water, mukhwas, paan bites, and sugar on medium heat. Heat it until everything dissolves.
Strain the boiled mixture so that there are no solid particles in the jelly.
To the hot strained liquid add a few drops of pink color and the bloomed gelatin to it and stir it till everything dissolves. Remember the liquid needs to be hot when you add the gelatin.
Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes. We cannot pour the warm or hot liquid over the already set gulkand panna cotta or it will melt the set panna cotta.
Slowly pour the cooled Mukhwas Jelly liquid on top of the already set Gulkand Panna Cotta. You will need about 3 tablespoons for each panna cotta. Refrigerate the panna cotta again for 3 to 4 hours or till the jelly sets.
Once ready you can serve the Gulkand Panna Cotta to the guests and enjoy the beautiful dessert together.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What is Gulkand?
Gulkand is a delicious Ayurvedic preparation. It is a sweet preserve made from rose petals and some supporting ingredients like cardamom seeds and fennel seeds. Gulkand is commonly used in Paan which is served as a digestive aid after a heavy meal. Gulkand is also an excellent coolant and is often added to milk or yogurt during the summer season.
What is a Mukhwas?
Mukhwas is a colorful Indian after-meal snack or digestive aid widely used as a mouth freshener, especially after meals. It is mostly made of various seeds and nuts, often fennel, anise, coconut, coriander, and sesame. It also has a hint of peppermint and hence is often very aromatic.
Can you replace Gelatin in the Gulkand Panna Cotta recipe?
The answer is yes!! Of course Yes! there is a replacement for Gelatin in the Gulkand Panna Cotta recipe.
You can replace Gelatin with Agar Agar in this Gulkand Panna Cotta recipe if you are looking for a Vegan or vegetarian option.
How to replace Gelatin with Agar Agar?
Normally, you can replace Gelatin powder with Agar-agar powder in a 1:1 ratio. That would mean you can replace 1 teaspoon gelatin powder with 1 teaspoon of agar-agar powder. However, if you are using agar agar flakes then you need to replace 1 teaspoon gelatin powder with 1 tablespoon of agar agar flakes.
You can also check out these easy recipes
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Gulkand Panna Cotta with Mukhwas Jelly
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Small bowls
- Big bowl
- Whisk / Spatula
- sieve
Ingredients
Gulkand Panna Cotta
- 300 ml Heavy Cream
- 100 ml Whole Milk
- 65 gm Granulated Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Gulkand
- 2 teaspoon Gelatin Powder
- 4 tablespoon Water
- 3 drops Pink gel food color
Mukhwas Jelly
- 1 cup Water
- 1.5 teaspoon Gelatin
- 2 tsp/cubes Paan bites
- 3 tablespoon Mukhwas
- 2.5 tablespoon Granulated sugar
Instructions
Making Gulkand Panna Cotta
- Take a small bowl with 4 tablespoon room temperature water and sprinkle 2 teaspoon gelatin on it. Stir it well and set it aside to bloom for about 10 minutes.
- Take a saucepan and add 300 ml heavy cream, 100 ml whole milk, 3 tablespoons of glukand, and 65 gm granulated sugar.
- Set it on a medium heat and keep stirring so that the sugar and gulkand melts and mixes properly with the liquid ingredients. Heat it and keep stirring so that it doesn't burn at the bottom.
- Switch off the heat as soon as you see small bubbles around the rim of the pan. Do not boil it over.
- Add 2 to 3 drops of pink color to the panna cotta mixture.
- To the hot gulkand panna cotta liquid add the bloomed gelatin and stir it. Mix it till all the gelatin melts.
- Pour the mixture into the glass shooters and keep it in the refrigerator to set for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Making Mukhwas Jelly
- Take a small bowl with 3 tablespoon room temperature water and sprinkle 1.5 teaspoon gelatin on it. Stir it well and set it aside to bloom for about 10 minutes.
- In a Saucepan add 1 cup of water, 2.5 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons mukhwas, and 2 cubes or 2 teaspoon of paan bites. Set it on a medium heat to boil.
- Keep stirring so that all the ingredients come together and the mixture comes to a light boil.
- Switch off the heat and strain the mixture before moving on to the next step.
- To the hot liquid add 3 to 4 drops of pink gel food color and the bloomed gelatin and mix it together till the gelatin melts completely.
- Let the Mukhwas Jelly mixture cool down for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Pour about 3 to 4 tablespoons of cooled mukhwas jelly liquid on top of the already set gulkand panna cotta.
- Keep it back in the fridge to set for another 3 to 4 hours.
- Serve the Gulkand Panna Cotta chilled and enjoy the magic the flavors play in your mouth.
Notes
- Do not boil the Heavy cream and milk, just heat it enough to dissolve the sugar.
- If you don't find gulkand in the store then check for it on amazon.
- Do not pour a hot Mukhwas Jelly on to of the set passion fruit panna cotta. This will melt the top layer and mess up with the clean elegant look.
- If your gulkand has too much fennel the skim the fennel floating on top before pouring it into the glass to set.
Nadalie
I love rich, creamy drinks! This looks really good and so easy to prep. Will def try this soon!
Prajakta
thank you.
Prajakta
thank you
Jennifer Passmore
Wow, this dessert looks elegant and delicious. It is something different, I think I would like to try it!
Eric R. Gamble
Fennel is always interesting to me cause it is always pretty strong in flavor and I usually associate it with Pork or some sort of Dinner Meat Dish and not really desserts. But this gulkand panna cotta with mukhwas jelly is interesting in that incorporates fennel and gulkand. I had never heard of gulkand before but the idea of Roses & Fennel seem quite a contrast to me.
Monidipa
I am a sweet tooth but am a very bad cook. All these preparations are overwhelming. However my older niece loves making sweet dishes, so I will pass this on to her.
Siennylovesdrawing
I love all kind of desserts, this recipe absolutely wonderful for me to try on this weekend , so yummy tasty looking. Cheers Siennylovesdrawing
Knycx Journeying
What a wonderfully easy-to-make elegant dessert for a house party! Thanks for the recipe and I would love to make some next time for my family and friends. 🙂
Lyosha
never tried it before but it looks so good I actually do want to eat it now! Looks right up alley, thanks for the recipe, I will try it during the weekend
aisasami
I love to eat any type of sweet and I want to try Panna Cotta with Mukhwas jelly. It just looks so refreshing and delicious! Maybe mouth-watering too!