Yogurt Panna Cotta

Little known to this dessert, I was introduced to my first Panna Cotta a month ago on an official luncheon meet from my company at Radha Homtel. There was something really intriguing about this dessert, as the light mild sweetness against the rich creaminess melted through my tongue. The creaminess was definitely on a high as it had a mousse like silken feel to it. From the array of desserts, it was this delicately flavored Panna Cotta that caught my sheer attention. Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. (Ref: Wikipedia)

Not willing to delude myself from the original, but to recreate a healthy and equally delicate flavorsome dessert was my idea of my Panna Cotta for this Sunday. Instead of the heavy cream Panna cotta, I made a nice yogurt one which was not just satisfying, but also light on our tummies.

Simple and easy, this dessert requires few ingredients to bring out a great sweet treat which can steal attention of any gathering away!

Yogurt Panna Cotta

INGREDIENTS

100 ml hung yogurt
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
40 g powdered sugar
1 tsp gelatin / agar-agar
1 tbsp hot water

DIRECTIONS

Prepare yogurt a day before. Or you may use store bought yogurt too. Hang the yogurt in a muslin cloth to collect all the watery portion of it in a vessel placed underneath. Let the liquid separate as much as possible from the curd. Place this in a fridge overnight for the water to drain out. The next morning you will have thick yogurt ready for use. This is commonly referred to as Quark in European region, or German in specific.

Dissolve 1 tsp gelatin or agar-agar in some hot water till it dissolves well. Set aside to cool a little.

Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, the vanilla extract and sugar in a bowl. Whip the yogurt till it is creamy and smooth. Add in the agar-agar and mix really well till it is all a homogeneous mixture. Transfer to serving bowls and refrigerate for the Panna Cotta to set. Let it set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

I served my Panna Cotta in a Martini glass and topped it with some chocolate shavings and a chocolate cigar for the aesthetic look. Fruits can also be a good combination for this yogurt base.

Making this dessert from a store-bought yogurt is way quicker than home-made one as it reduces a lot of time in removing the water from curd. Ensure that the store-bought yogurt is set and really thick. That gives the best result.

Simple and creamy, yet a healthy dessert to treat your family and friends.