Pista Couli

I dont think there must be any household which doesnt make gajar ka halwa.. And this Indian dessert is savoured by all alike.. What if we take the gajar ka halwa a notch up and present it in an international way with "Pista Couli" .. Yes.. Our Indian Dessert can also be serve with Coulis, which is traditionally a thick sauce made from fruits..

                I had this recipe of Pista Couli from a very long time, but cudnt find a right time to make it.. It has always been on my bucket list.. This time when my mom made Gajar ka Halwa, i made it a point to make this couli and serve it with Gajar ka Halwa.. And trust me, the outcome has been amazing.. I never thought it would lift the taste of halwa to such an extent.. It was so delectable, the creamy and mild taste of pista couli paired very well with gajar ka halwa.. You need to try this to believe me.. And once you try this you would not want to eat the halwa without this couli again..

                The gajar ka halwa that my mom makes is laden with cashews.. And when served with pista couli and garnished with almonds, it was a power packed dried fruit gajar ka halwa for us..

                This couli is supposed to be very heavy as it is nothing but cream and pista and served with a sweet dessert.. I know it would be hard to resist and you would want to go in for a second serving,, so better to serve in small quantities...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pista

3-4tbsp cream

2tbsp milk

1-2tbsp sugar (optional)

Method: Blanch pistas in hot water for 5mins.. Peel them and blend it with milk into a smooth creamy texture.. Then remove in a pan and add cream and sugar (My cream was sweet enough so i didnt feel the need to add any extra sugar).. Mix well and heat over low flame till it boils once... It should be thick sauce like consistency.. So add cream accordingly to adjust consistency.. Remove in a bowl and serve with gajar halwa..

Note: This couli should be mildly sweet and not laden with sugar.. Otherwise the taste of pista gets dominated by sugar..

You avoid milk and use cream to blend pistas.. For me that would make the couli very heavy and so I chose to blend it with milk..

                                                 Blanched and peeled pistas

                                                 Grinded to smooth paste with milk

                                       Remove in a pan and add cream and sugar(optional)

                                         Heat on low flame till it boils once and switch off gas..

                                          Serve with gajar ka halwa..