Pistachio Chia Pudding with Saffron and Cardamom Poached Persimmons

When I was growing up, I remember often sneaking into the refrigerator to grab a piece of one of the Indian sweets my mom always had a box of. Flavors of cashews, pistachios, rose, saffron and cardamom would entice me and I just loved trying all the different varieties of treats that came in the most beautiful colors and designs.

I still get excited every time I go back home to New York, because I turn into that little girl again, excited to see what sweet treats await me. Truth be told though, I’ve had to be a bit more conscious of what I eat as I’ve gotten older. I simply can’t handle copious amounts of sugar anymore.

While I still will indulge from time to time and feel perfectly ok doing so, I do love to make healthy treats with some of my favorite flavors.

This Pistachio Chia Pudding with Saffron and Cardamom Poached is one of those recipes. Since I was younger, pistachio ice cream was one of my favorite flavors and still is! I just can’t get enough of it, but it’s not used hardly as much as I think it should be.

For this recipe, I made fresh pistachio milk and increased the pistachio flavor by adding pistachio butter (pistachio paste can be used too.)

Saffron and cardamom are like peanut butter and chocolate – amazing on their own, but together are a flavor explosion that makes you smile from the inside out. They are aromatics that bring such a sophisticated flavor to whatever they are added to.

I’ve actually never tried to poach fruit, but as the fall season has come into full swing, images of poached pears have been popping up everywhere. I’ve been super into fuyu persimmons lately (the firm kind) and I knew they would go so well with cardamom and saffron, so onto the persimmon poaching I went.

My initial experiment was a huge success and I’m officially sold on poaching any fruit I can now. Not only do the flavors of persimmons, saffron, cardamom and pistachio sing like a symphony of flavors, I just feel in love with the colors of this dessert. The green and orange are just so pretty together – a treat for the eyes and belly!

Pistachio Chia Pudding with Saffron and Cardamom Poached Persimmons

admin When I was growing up, I remember often sneaking into the refrigerator to grab a piece of one of the Indian sweets my mom always had a box of. Flavors… Desserts dessert, chia pudding, pudding European Print This

Serves: 5

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

For Pistachio Chia Pudding

• 1 cup raw pistachios
• 4 cups water
• 3 Tbsp pistachio butter or pistachio paste
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For Saffron and Cardamom Poached Persimmons

• 2 fuyu persimmons
• 2 cups water
• 5 cardamom pods,  crushed
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 10-12 saffron threads

Instructions

For Pistachio Chia Pudding:

1. To make pistachio milk. Combine pistachios and water in a high speed blender. Blend for 1 minute at high speed and then strain through a nutmilk bag or cheesecloth. Set aside. Rinse out blender.
2. Put 3 cups fresh pistachio milk, pistachio butter,  maple syrup and vanilla extract in blender and blend until combined.
3. Add mixture to a large bowl. Stir in chia seeds and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Remove from fridge and stir well with a whisk to break up and any clumps. Put back in the refrigerator to firm up for a few hours or overnight.

For Saffron and Cardamom Poached Persimmons:

1. Cut tops off each persimmon and peel skin.
2. Combine sugar and water in a pot. Head over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
3. Add in crushed cardamom pods, saffron and peeled persimmons. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Using tongs, flip persimmons over and continue to poach for another 10-15 minutes until they are tender, but not mushy.
5. Remove persimmons with tongs onto a cutting board. Continue to cook saffron cardamom syrup for another 5-10 minutes. 
6. You can make these ahead of time. Simply put syrup and poached persimmons in a jar with tight lid and store in the fridge for 1-3 days. Reheat in a pot before serving.

To assemble:

1. Once persimmons are cool enough to handle,  cut into small pieces.
2. Divide chia pudding between 5 cups or bowls. 
3. Top with persimmon pieces and drizzle with some saffron cardamom syrup. Enjoy!