Fig agar-agar pudding with gulkand sauce and almond praline

That's a long title!! I think that's the effect watching MKR and Masterchef Australia. Feeling proud of being a blogger I created a new dish from scratch and with my own imagination, it's the courage given from blogging for the past four years. This month my partner for Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge was Prathima Shivraj of Prathus Food, She gave me Dry Fruits and Spice. After a long thought process I finally decided on doing Agar Agar Pudding with Figs. Then wanted to add something along with, checked my pantry and found a bottle of Gulkand / Rose Petal jam, Voila Second component done, now to have texture in our dessert thought why not add crunchiness to it and added Almond Praline.
    What a decadent dessert it was, silky smooth pudding, chewy gulkand and crunchy praline. simply loved it, to me all the three flavors jelled together, If your kids are fussy about eating gulkand then you can substitute with Strawberry syrup, kids will like them.
Moving towards the recipe

You Need:

Agar Agar                       5 gms/  1/3 cup
Dried Figs                       50 gms
Milk                                560 ml
Sugar                              1/4 cup

For Gulkand Sauce:

Gulkand                          1/4 cup
Water                              1 tbsp

Almond Praline:

Sugar                             1/4 cup
Slivered Almonds           1/2 cup
Water                              1 tsp

Preparation:

Gulkand Sauce:

Combine gulkand and water together in a small sauce pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes in low flame.
Remove from fire and keep aside.

Almond Praline:

Combine Sugar and water in a sauce pan and cook in medium flame till the sugar dissolves and forms a golden caramel.
Add the Almonds and pour the mixture on a  greased butter paper and allow it to cool.
Later crush them to a coarse powder in coffee grinder / food processor/ mixer grinder.

Fig Agar- Agar Pudding:

Soak the Agar- Agar for 1/2 n hour. Then drain
Meanwhile boil the figs in a cup of water till it becomes tender, drain the water and grind the figs to a paste.
In a medium sauce pan add the milk, sugar and Agar- Agar and boil in medium heat till the agar-agar almost dissolves, it takes about 20 minutes.
Pass the milk through the strainer, to this add the ground fig paste and whisk them well, for 5 minutes, this will ensure a smooth silky pudding.
Pour them in individual cups and Allow it to set in refrigerate for minimum 3 hours.
When you are about to serve top them with Gulkand sauce and almond praline.
Enjoy!!

Note:

You can also pour them in a shallow glass bowl and set. Loosen up the sides by running a  small thin knife then around the sides, Invert them on a plate,  top it with sauce and praline. Cut them into squares, and Serve

VARIATION:

Fig Agar-Agar Pudding with Strawberry Syrup and Almond praline:

Substitute the Gulkand with Strawberry Syrup,