Cardamom-Flavored Plum Compote (With Walnuts and Raisins)
Seasonal Fruits and vegetables are a cook's best friends, as you can be sure they are not artificially grown or flavored and also because they bring a lot of variety to the table every changing season! We all know how important it is to include fruits in our diet, and the markets in California are flooded with dark and juicy Plums. They have been one of my preferred fruits right from childhood, and I love their juicy fibrous texture and their sweet and tart flavor. There are so many things you can do with plums, but jams, jellies and preserves are the best way to capture their essence so you can enjoy them even after the seaosn is gone! I decided to go for the Plum Compote, which is similar to a jelly, just with a few chunks rather than a puree.A fruit compote is traditionally made of whole or pieces of fruit simmered in a sugar syrup, simmered over gentle heat. To add flavor, it can be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins. I chose to add some Cardamom, because I thought it would blend well with the flavors and also infuse a nice lasting aroma! Just looking at the dark red color was a treat to the eyes!
Ingredients
5 large Fresh plums - deseeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 orange rinds
1 cup brown sugar (adjust according to taste and tartness of plums)
1/4th-1/2 cup water
4 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of cinnamon powder
raisins and walnuts - optional for garnish
Method
Take a thick-bottom pan and add the chopped plums, orange rinds, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon powder and half of the cardamom powder. Let this stand for at least 45-60 mins, stirring and coating once in a while.
Now place the pan on the stove, add about 1/4th cup of water and let it simmer, partially covered, for 3-40 minutes. Keep stirring often so the fruit doesn't stick at the bottom of the pan. Do not overcook else you would break the fruit. Remove ffrom stove once its cooked and before its done upto the point that the fruit breaks down and becomes mushy.
Your Plum Compote (Preserve) is now ready! You can put this in steamed and dried (air-tight)jars to preserve the jam. Vacuum seal the jars and store in a cool, dry place. You could even serve the warm compote topped with golden raisins and walnuts, and a little whipped cream or ice cream for a wonderful light dessert!
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22 comments :
That looks perfect Mansi! cardamom seems to be a great addition!:)
-Rachel
I just had dinner and wish I could eat this for dessert! Delicious!
Mansi, your compote sounds fantastic!
Beautiful color Mansi. Cardamom and Plum, got to try it!:)
defenitely a treat!!!!
I loved the deep red color. I think this is great to fillin in the cakes too.
It looks so perfect and yummy Mansi. Love plum One of my fav. But never tried it like this. Bookmarked your recipe.
Nice one, Mansi! Great way to preserve the fruit for later use and the addition of cardamom would be a great change from the usual stuff you find. :)
Thanks guys! yes, the cardamom was indeed a nice addition, and we enjoyed this with plain vanilla ice cream:)
Hi Mansi, the plum compote is really beautiful! I usually just have them fresh out of hand -- I must try this way sometime :)
eally looks delicious. Addind the cardamom is new, will try next time.
Dreamy looking compote Manasi....
gorgeous color! I make a simila rone every season, but your cardamom take is intriguing...I still have a few plums and will try this recipe:) thanks!
~DM
Linda, HC, Miri - the taste is as refreshing as the pic:) do try it!
DM - I'd be happy to get your feedback on how this turns out for you! we really liked the flavor, and it tastes great with scones and breads!
Thanks for your comment at my blog. I am not too familiar with cardamon and don't know what to do with except to cook bryani rice :)
wow, it looks so colorful and yummy!
wonderful combo mansi and beautifullll color too
Sensational! I love the color, and the flavor too:)
-Amy
iCook - cardamom is basically an Indian spice known as "elaichi"; it has a sweet fragrance and taste and pairs well with cinnamon and fruits:)
Uma, Sagari, Amy - thanks for your comments!
This looks like a good recipe, but a) 4 tbsp cardamon seem like a lot and b) you say to add half the cardamon in the forst part of the recipe and then don't when to add the rest. Could you explain?
jpool - thanks for poiting out a typo! it should eb 4 teaspoons, not tablespoons, and I've rectified it. As fr the quantity, I say to add half while the syrup is cooking, then once the syrup is thick, check for flavor, and if you think u need more cardamom flavor, add the remaining 2 tsp. This is only because cardamom gains more flavor as its cooked, and as it can be a strong flavor which not everyone appreciates, its safe to do it in batches so you get the right taste!
hope this clarifies it:)
Thanks!
I made the recipe with about 1 1/2 tsp of fresh ground cardamon. It was fabulous, especially over ice cream, and I could probably have added even more spice.
I'm off to make another batch. :)
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