Sitaphal Cheesecake
Sitaphal Cheesecake
Sitaphal Cheesecake is a delightful no-bake dessert made with just a few ingredients. It’s the perfect solution when you’re too tired to fuss with baking, offering a recipe that’s ready in advance.
‘Sitaphal’ translates to ‘Custard Apple’ in Hindi. This fruit originates from Mexico, Peru, India, Central America, and Lebanon. It’s a sweet, delectable fruit that grows on diminutive trees and boasts a creamy texture beneficial for the immune system. However, it contains inedible black seeds that must be discarded prior to consumption. The flesh is akin to custard, with a creamy hue, aromatic and tender. As a Mumbai native, this was my go-to recipe during the sitaphal season.
This straightforward 10-minute recipe is ideal for a light dessert. It’s incredibly easy to make, with the most time-consuming step being the removal of seeds from the fruit. While you can extract each seed by hand, I find it more efficient to pulse the custard apple in a blender for 10 seconds for rapid deseeding.
I prefer assembling this cheesecake in individual tart shells, but it can also be made in a 23cm/9in springform or a loose-bottomed tin. My version includes white chocolate for an added touch of luxury, also as I don’t add any additional sugar.
This dessert is so effortless and swift to prepare that it can be made in 30 minutes. It’s an excellent choice for gatherings, parties, or welcoming guests at home, especially when served chilled for a sublime taste.
Other recipes you might like to try are
Lychee Sandesh and
Eggless Mango Mousse to name a few.
Ingredients
15-20 digestive biscuits
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup white chocolate
2 cups whipping cream
1 large or 2 medium custard apples
2 teaspoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios
Directions
Place the digestive biscuits into a sealable freezer bag. Push all the air out and seal the bag. Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin, being careful not to break any holes in the bag.
Mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter until thoroughly combined.
Press the buttery crumbs into the bottom of a individual tart cases or a 23cm/9in springform or loose-bottomed tin. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the topping.
Roughly chop up the sitaphal into pieces and blend it for 10 seconds. Remove the seeds with a spoon.
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for about a minute.
Whisk the cream to a fluffy soft peak. It will take around 5-8 minutes to achieve that consistency. Be careful not to over whip.
Combine the melted chopped, sitaphal and whipped cream and fold all the ingredients together.
Remove the tart from the fridge and spread the sitaphal mixture over the biscuit base and smooth the top with a palette knife or spatula.
Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least four hours.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the pishachios over the top of the tart.
