Saying cheese with jamun

Pushpesh Pant

There is a Kumaoni folk song that tugs at the heartstrings of all paharis living perforce in the plains. The lines run: “Beru paak barah masa ho narain kaaphal pako Chaita!” (Wild figs ripen round the year but kaaphal ripens only in the month of Chaitra). It isn’t only this dark violet jungle berry found in the Himalayan forests that has a short season but also phaalsa that resembles kaaphal a lot is available for a few weeks. However, the berry that makes us pine as soon as the sky darkens is the one and only jamun, much larger than kaaphal and phaalsa but sharing their sweet-astringent taste to tinge the tongue in purple hues.

Few people are aware that jamun, also known as Java plum or Malabar plum, is native to the subcontinent and is entwined with our identity. Bharatvarsh, the land we inhabit, is situated in Jambu Dveep, a continent-sized island in mythical geography.

There was a time when no one cared for the fruit. It was readily available: a full paper cone was for a few paise — at the most a chavanni (quarter of a rupee) — with a large pinch of cumin-flavoured salt sprinkled on the contents. Well, times change, and the adolescent guards employed by contractors who had claimed the produce of the trees lining the India Gate lawns, have disappeared. The mega beautification project has transformed the Central Vista. If you love jamuns and want to buy now, you better head for expensive fruit marts that have juicy jumbo jamuns handpicked and packed like exotic sweetmeats. Also, you don’t have to wait for the first showers to enjoy these dark blue blackberries. They appear early and stay on the shelves long after the winds carry away the rain-bearing clouds.

We were pleasantly surprised recently when a hostess prepared a special treat for us — a jamun cheesecake that wasn’t baked in the oven. Not to be outdone, a fellow guest invited us to try her jamun pulao. Long years ago, good friend, writer-publisher, heritage custodian Atiya Zaidi from Jaunpur had let us savour an excellent phaalsa pulao and Chef Nishant Choubey had created an exotic jamun ki chaat at a party, but cheesecake was something new.

Jamun pulao requires patience and some skill to pull it off but the cheesecake is well within any jamun lover’s reach. So we have great pleasure in sharing the recipe with our readers. 

Ingredients

Jamun…………………………………………………………………………………………….250g

Cream cheese………………………………………………………………………………..200g

Marie biscuits…………………………………………………………………………………..8-10

Butter………………………………………………………………………………………………..10g

Sugar………………………………………………………………………………………………100g

A pinch of salt

Gelatine or agar agar to set if not baking and setting in a refrigerator.

Method

• Line a shallow flan pan with a film of butter. Crush the biscuits coarsely and some softened butter to obtain a crumbly dough. Line the pan with this mix and press with a potato masher to level the surface.
• Wash the jamun berries in a bowl with water two or three times. Then add these to a pan with a cup of water and half cup of sugar and allow to boil. Let it simmer on medium flame for eight to 10 minutes. Remove the scum that rises to surface from time to time. Remove the pan from stove. Allow it to cool. Pour the watery syrup in a pan and rub the berries with palms to remove stones and separate the flesh. Discard all stones. Place the pulp and the syrup in a blender and puree. Stir in gelatine or agar agar dissolved in lukewarm water in this puree. Blend well to avoid lumps. Allow to cool and set.
• Spread a layer of this jam-like compote over the lined biscuits base in the pan. Save some for the top layer.
• Boil the cream cheese with milk, whisking constantly to ensure no lumps. Cool and pour when the thick custard-like consistency in pan over the jamun compote. Top cheesecake with another compote layer.
• Keep overnight in the refrigerator to set well. Garnish with chopped plump jamun, slice and enjoy.