
Nimish
Nimish is an airy, cloud-like chilled milk foam delicately perfumed with rosewater. It has a melt-in-the-mouth texture that is lightly sweet and accented with crunchy nuts.
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together 500 g full cream milk, 100 g cream and 0.5 teaspoon cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate overnight until thoroughly chilled.
- Add 1.2 g rosewater and about four teaspoons of the 50 g icing sugar to the chilled milk mixture. Whip at high speed using a whisk or hand mixer until a light foam rises to the surface.
- Skim off the foam layer onto a wide dish or tray and lightly dust with a portion of the remaining icing sugar. Continue whisking and lifting off the resulting foam in batches until the liquid is fully converted.
- Ladle the foam into individual serving bowls and finish with 1 tablespoon blanched and slivered pistachios scattered over the top.
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Full cream milk

Whole milkUse the same weight; it is the closest match in richness.
MilkUse the same weight; the dish will be slightly less creamy, so reduce any added water.
Milk powderFor 100 g milk, use 12 g milk powder with 88 g water and whisk until smooth.

Heavy cream

Double creamUse the same weight. It is richer and whips firmer; loosen with a little milk if the recipe needs pouring cream.
Single creamUse the same weight, but expect a thinner sauce or filling; do not boil hard or it may split.
Full cream milkUse 85% of the weight and add 15% melted butter or ghee; simmer to reduce slightly. It will be less rich and will not whip.

Cream of tartar

Lemon juiceUse double the weight. Good for stabilising egg whites or as the acid in baking.
White vinegarUse double the weight. Neutral acid; works for egg whites and bicarbonate mixes.
Baking powderIf the recipe also uses bicarbonate of soda, replace both with baking powder at 1.5 times their combined weight.

Icing sugar

Caster sugarUse the same weight and grind to a fine powder in a dry blender. Add 3% cornflour by weight if you need it to stay powdery.
Granulated sugarUse the same weight and grind in small batches until fine. It is coarser and may feel gritty in uncooked icings.
Sugar candyUse the same weight and grind to a powder. It is harder to grind and gives a slightly crunchier result.

Rosewater

Screwpine water or rosewaterIf using kewra water, use 50% of the volume specified; it is intensely floral and pungent, so add drop by drop to avoid overpowering.
Ground green cardamomUse 0.5 g ground spice for every 5 ml rosewater. Adds warm, perfumed top notes, shifting the aroma from floral to sweet spice.
Dried rose petalsSteep 1 g dried petals in 15 ml hot milk or water for 10 minutes, strain, and stir in for a subtle, natural floral note.

Unsalted pistachio nut

PistachioUse the same weight; check for salt and adjust the recipe's salt.
AlmondUse the same weight; toast lightly before chopping. It is milder but works for garnishes and pastes.
Cashew nutUse the same weight; grind with a little water for pastes. It is softer and sweeter.
Similar dishes

- Same: Like this dish, Kulfi is a cold milk-based dessert flavored with floral water and nuts.
- Different: Rather than being whipped into a delicate chilled foam, Kulfi is made by slowly simmering milk until thick and freezing it solid with granulated sugar.

- Same: Rabri shares full cream milk, rosewater, pistachio and sweetness with this dish.
- Different: Rabri adds green cardamom, granulated sugar and almond, lacks this dish's heavy cream, icing sugar and cream of tartar, and is simmered and reduced rather than whipped into a chilled foam.

- Same: Both preparations are milk-based sweets finished with a crunchy nut garnish.
- Different: Kalakand is cooked into a dense fudge from concentrated khoya and granulated sugar rather than whipped into a chilled foam, and it omits rosewater.

- Same: Homemade Ghee shares a dairy base with this dish, since it is made from unsalted butter while this dish uses full cream milk and heavy cream.
- Different: Homemade Ghee lacks this dish's icing sugar, rosewater, cream of tartar, and pistachios, and it is simmered and strained instead of whipped and chilled into a foam.
















