Devnaa Sweet (Chocolate) Hearts

With Christmas a distant memory, New Year's resolutions fading into the distance and sub zero temperatures here in the UK, mid January really has us all singing the blues! Worry not though - it's almost over and the beginning of February will bring with it that little flicker of excitement, that small glow at the end of the winter gloom - Valentine's Day!

The 'Hallmark holiday' which divides the people but whether you love it or hate it you'll definitely be talking about it, and once it's over the days will be noticeably brighter and it will almost be Spring (we hope)!

This year at Devnaa we've tried to raise spirits with our cutest Valentine's collection yet - heart shaped white, milk and dark chocolates filled with our decadent signature caramel flavours, all packed up in matching heart shaped boxes and finished with cute little bows. Available in 6 piece or 11 piece boxes they make a  great treat for a loved one or to share with your other half, be that your soulmate, sibling, or best friend! We feel that the Pistachio & Saffron, Chai, and Coconut & Cardamom caramels will melt the hearts of even the most adamant of holiday haters.

To make the collection all the sweeter there is also a gift set available pairing the 6 piece hearts box with our Indian Inspired Dessert Recipe Book. Why not learn a few tricks and spoil your love with delicious desserts all year round?

If caramels are not the way to the heart of your loved one then we have also launched a limited edition Tiffin Box of our Signature Pralines. Filled with 8 pieces of Almond & Orange Praline and 8 pieces of Cinnamon Praline packaged in our award nominated signature packaging this makes a beautiful and delicious gift.

For more details on any of the products mentioned above please visit the Valentine's 2013 page on our website.

Christmas 2012

This Christmas we've created a unique range of special gifts, from stocking fillers to gift hampers 'choc'-full of treats!

Our festive red and green sharing sets make perfect 'secret santa' gifts or stocking fillers and are fun gifts for children too. The Limited Edition Dark Chocolate Coffee Masala Caramels, created exclusively for Autumn/Winter 2012, are warming, dark caramels which have been infused with our signature freshly ground blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove alongside a hint of delicious roasted coffee, all enrobed in silky smooth dark chocolate - perefect for the more sophisticated chocolate lover.

Especially for Christmas, our Devnaa Divine Gift Set at £20.00 provides an affordable gift solution which contains a delicious selection of our signature masala infused delights- from the spiced bar to the caramels and the drinking chocolate the warming blend of ginger, cinnamon, clove and cardamom tastes just like Christmas!

Our range of larger hampers from the Discovery (£39.95), presented in a smart gold gift box; to the Delights (£70.00) in a festive red hamper with gold Christmas ribbon; and the Deluxe (£85.00), arranged in a hand decorated, luxury jute bag, provide a special selection of all of our signature sweets and chocolates, beautifully presented to make stunning Christmas gifts.

Click the link to see the full collection: http://www.devnaa.com/Xmas+2012.htm

Rasmalai with Strawberry Compote (Happy Diwali!)

Happy Diwali! On my favourite day of the year, it's only right that I share one of my favourite recipes - Rasmalai. For me, this light, milky dessert makes a change from the heavy, sugary treats normally associated with this time of year - and if you are having family or friends over for dinner I'm sure they will also appreciate the change.

Rasmalai originates from Orissa in the Bengal region of India, but its irresistible deliciousness has allowed it to travel across the country and the world and it is now probably one of the most well-known and favoured Indian desserts of all time. The soft, melt-in-the-mouth, sponge-like ovals are the “malai,” and the sweet, fragrant, delicately spiced milk is the “ras.” This dessert takes time to make, but is well worth it; and you can even make it a day in advance if you are having a dinner party.

Traditionally, rasmalai is flavoured with cardamom and saffron, so the vanilla, rose water and strawberry compote are entirely optional but I feel they add an uplifting and refreshing new dimension to this classic recipe.

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the Malai

1 L whole milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 L water
200 g caster sugar

For the Ras
500 ml whole milk
100 g caster sugar
¼ tsp crushed saffron threads
¼ vanilla pod
1 tbsp rose water
¼ tsp ground cardamom

For the Strawberry Compote
175 g strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp rose water
¼ tsp vanilla extract

 

Method

• The first part of this recipe is making the paneer, which will form the “malai.”
• Heat up the milk in a wide saucepan over a medium high heat.
• When the milk comes to a rolling boil, add the lemon juice and reduce the heat.
• You will see the milk begin to curdle and split.
• When the liquid part of the milk turns a greenish colour, pour the contents of the pan through a sieve or colander lined with a cheesecloth.
• Let the liquid drain away and the rinse the milk solids, or paneer, with cold water.
• Tie the cheesecloth up around the paneer and either press with weights or leave to hang from a tap until all the liquid drains away and the paneer is dry.
• Place the drained paneer in a food processor with a chopping attachment, and blend until it comes together to form a smooth ball.
• Remove from the processor and knead gently until you have a completely smooth dough.
• Use a rounded dessert spoon to form 12 equal portions of the dough, and roll each into a smooth round ball with no cracks in it.
• Bring the 200 g sugar and water to the boil together inside a large pressure cooker.
• Take each ball of the paneer and gently flatten it until it is approximately 1-cm thick.
• Place all of the paneer patties into the pressure cooker and allow them to cook over a medium heat until the whistle rises or for a maximum of 10 minutes.
• Allow the cooker to cool before you open it; and then use a serrated spoon to gently lift out each malai, and place it on a dish to cool slightly.
• While the malai are cooking and cooling, you can begin making the “ras.”  Bring the milk to the boil in a large non-stick saucepan over a high heat.
• When the milk has boiled, reduce the heat, add the sugar, saffron, rose water, and vanilla pod, and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until the milk has reduced by one third (about 15 minutes).
• Turn off the heat and remove the vanilla pod from the milk.
• Stir in the cardamom, and allow to cool slightly.
• When both the ras and malai have cooled slightly but are still warm, gently squeeze out some of the excess sugar syrup from the malai by pressing them downwards, and then place each one into the ras.
• Place in the refrigerator to chill completely
• To make the strawberry compote, hull and quarter the strawberries and place in a saucepan together with the sugar, rose water, and vanilla extract.
• Warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally and allowing the strawberries to release their juice; and then let the mixture thicken a little (about 5 minutes).
• Allow the compote to cool slightly before refrigerating.
• To assemble the dessert, place a rasmalai on the centre of each dish, and top with a tsp of compote. Place another rasmalai on top, and garnish with a little extra compote and some chopped pistachios if desired. Serve chilled.