This week I’ve been following Rick Stein, a famous British chef, as he goes on exploring the different cuisines around India in search of the perfect curry. What makes a good curry? Sensual spicy aromas or thick, creamy sauces? Rich, dark dals or crispy fried street snacks? Rick takes his viewers on a journey through India to unlock the secrets of these complex and diverse flavours through his TV show, Rick Stein’s India. His travels take him to the heart of Indian cooking through both long-held traditions and modern techniques of food preparation.
He uncovers recipes for fragrant kormas, delicate spiced fish and slow-cooked biryanis, all the while gathering ideas and inspiration for his own take on the perfect curry. In the misdt of all the spices and dishes heavily laden with desi ghee, he introduces to his viewers a delicate sweet dish, flavoured with saffron and rosewater. Nimish, a beautifully creamy dessert from Lucknow – the land of Nawabs – is a refined treat said to be better than kulfi, the common Indian ice cream. Traditionally, nimish is served covered with chopped pistachios and bits of edible silver leaf.
NIMISH
Ingredients:
450g/1lb double cream
50g/1¾oz icing sugar
1 teaspoon rosewater
Pinch saffron strands
100ml/3½fl oz milk
Few chopped pistachios
Edible silver leaf
Method:
- Warm milk and soak saffron strands for 15 minutes till well infused. Whip cream in a bowl till soft peaks just start to form.
- It is important not to over-whisk. Sift in the icing sugar, then add the rosewater and the cooled saffron milk plus the strands.
- Whisk together for a minute until it is smooth and a few bubbles appear on the surface. Pour gently into small serving bowls.
- Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Decorate with sliced pistachios and edible silver leaf and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Fit for a Nawab
13 comments
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November 11, 2014 at 11:54 am
Omanand
Thanks for the recipes. Like it.
November 11, 2014 at 6:04 pm
shane
Thank u for this recipe. I am Rick Stein fan 🙂
July 11, 2015 at 10:57 am
humairaameen
hi prerna
i want to try this for eid. how many servings do you get from this recipes? and is it in the traditional ramequins?
July 17, 2015 at 7:13 pm
prerrnamirchi
hello dr, I think you will get about 4 servings in 1/2 cup ramekins with these proportions. wish u Eid Mubarak!
July 19, 2015 at 6:17 am
humairaameen
Hi there!
Thank God it was a real success. I made a slight twist though. I needed for 10 people. I had apricot filled tartlet biscuit and bought a can of half peaches. I made the nimish as stated put them in smaller glasswares. Firstly I put the tartlet then the nimish then on top I cut the peaches into cubes and decorated them. Let’s say my Nawab is European!!! Everyone just loved it. A very big THANKS to You☺️
July 24, 2015 at 3:50 am
prerrnamirchi
i’m so happy to hear that dear. it’s always a pleasure to have everyone enjoying homemade food 🙂
November 7, 2015 at 3:04 am
nam
Hello, where can i get the edible leaf in mauritius?
November 9, 2015 at 7:44 pm
prerrnamirchi
Hello dear I have not come across the edible silver leaf in Mauritius so far. The best I can advise is to order online 🙂
November 12, 2015 at 12:13 pm
Rajnitha
Hello
you can get edible silver leaf at NuzNai Trading which is found along Hugnin Street, Rose Hill. I just bought some to decorate my burfi for Diwali 🙂
November 12, 2015 at 4:57 pm
prerrnamirchi
Thanks for sharing Rajnitha!
November 12, 2015 at 12:15 pm
Nish R Sookaram
Hello
You can get the edible silver leaf at NuzNai Trading which is found along Hugnin Road at Rose Hill. I just bought some to decorate my burfi for Diwali 🙂
December 30, 2021 at 9:23 am
Sadhana
Heyyyy this is not authentic recipe for nimish. In India we make it with milk not double cream. The fine foam is created because of using an essential ingredient called ‘samandar jhag’ or cuttlebone I think they call it in English. Just a pinch is used but very essential as without this you can’t get results.
Same ingredient that goes into making traditional Indian pappads which you might call pappadom!
January 5, 2022 at 6:50 am
PrerrnaMirchi
Thanks for sharing Sadhana. I had no idea!!