Indian Fruit Cream (No-Cook, 20 Minutes)
Light Indian-style fruit cream made by whipping cream and half-and-half to soft peaks, sweetening with condensed milk and cardamom, then folding in chilled mixed fruit.
Ingredients
Cream base
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 360 ml; avoid 40% if possible; 35% fat preferred
- 1/2 cup half-and-half 120 ml; well chilled
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk about 90 ml; 120 ml; or up to 1/2 cup for sweeter taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon orange extract optional
- 1 to 2 teaspoons rose water optional
Fruit (about 5 to 6 cups total, all chilled; adjust to taste)
- 1 1/4 cups green or red grapes about 190 g; halved and sliced into thin pieces
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils about 55 g
- 2 medium sweet apples peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 small ripe bananas sliced into rounds
- 2 medium ripe mangoes peeled and cut into cubes
Garnish
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped pistachios or almonds
- extra fruit, pomegranate, or dried rose petals (optional)
Instructions
Prep
- Chill the mixer bowl and whisk for 15 to 20 minutes if you can. Keep cream, half-and-half, and all fruit very cold until the last moment.
- Prep fruit and return it to the refrigerator while you whip the cream.
Whip the cream
- Pour heavy cream and half-and-half into the chilled bowl. Beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until the mixture looks foamy and slightly thickened.
- Add condensed milk, cardamom, orange extract (if using), and rose water (if using). Continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks: it mounds when you lift the whisk, but the peak tips fold over gently. Do not beat to stiff peaks.
Fold and chill
- Add all prepared fruit to the bowl. Fold gently with a spatula until fruit is evenly distributed and cream looks fluffy.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or individual cups. Top with nuts and a little extra fruit if you like.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
If you have Amul cream, whip 2 cups chilled Amul cream with condensed milk and cardamom and skip the half-and-half. Chill the bowl extra well; Amul cream takes longer to thicken.
For make-ahead, store chopped fruit (minus banana and apple) airtight in the fridge, whip cream separately, then combine 30 minutes before serving.
If the cream looks broken or grainy, you likely overwhipped. Next batch, stop at soft peaks only.
Sweeten with granulated sugar instead of condensed milk if needed (start with 3 to 4 tablespoons, taste after soft peaks form).
Store assembled fruit cream covered in the refrigerator up to 1 day. Add banana and apple closer to serving when possible.
Pair with chilled mango shrikhand or aam panna on hot summer days (petitepaprika.com/mango-shrikhand/, petitepaprika.com/aam-panna/).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!