I’ve always wondered what two of my favorite fruits -Lychee and Mango- combined will taste like. I could just imagine the two flavors together, but never really got around to trying it. I finally got the perfect opportunity this month, when I picked Lychee as the Fruit of the Month, and to my utter shock realized that there are some Lychee haters in this world! How can anyone not love Lychees? So, in my attempt to popularize this amazing fruit, I will try to come up with a few recipes with Lychees this month.
Then, there are those who love Lychees, but just the fresh kind! Believe me, unless we are talking about just eating the fruits as such, the canned ones taste almost as good as fresh ones, especially in drinks and desserts. I never have the patience to skin and pit fresh lychees for a recipe. So unless I am sitting in front of TV with a big bowl of Lychees in my lap, I always prefer the canned ones. So give canned Lychees a try. It is available in Asian stores, and I even found some at Trader Joe’s marketed under their own brand!
Anyway, coming back to the subject of this post, when I finally combined these two wonderful tropical favorites together, it was all I was hoping for and more! The two flavors go so well together! If you have any doubts, start out with a simple fruit salad with the two, drizzle some honey on it, and you will know what I am talking about!
Here I have a two layer pudding with Mango Jelly as the top layer, and a Lychee Panna Cotta as the bottom layer. I drizzled some mango syrup around, and served with lychees, diced mangoes and pistachios.
The texture of the mango jelly layer was a little tough, guess I put too much gelatin. I would’ve liked that layer a little softer. Also, since the lychee flavor is more subtle compared to the mango flavor, it would’ve been better balanced with a thinner layer of mango jelly, here I made both layers in equal thickness. But none of my guinea pigs tasters complained.
Another point I want to note is that I started using Agave Nectar in place of sugar in desserts. My parents are controlling their sugar intake, and I’ve been trying to find a good natural sugar substitute, and Agave Nectar is all the rage these days. Agave Nectar has a lower glycemic index than a lot of natural sweeteners in the market. It has natural fructose, and does not contain processing chemicals. My parents are not diabetic, they are just being on the safe side, trying to reduce the sugar intake. So I didn’t do very extensive research, but all-in-all it sounds like a safe natural alternative to sugar. Leave a comment if you know more about this.
By all means substitute sugar for agave nectar. Agave is sweeter than sugar, so you will have to increase the quantity of sugar.
Mango Jelly
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mango Puree
- 1/2 a packet of powdered gelatin (1/2 tbsp)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp Agave Nectar
Method
Sprinkle gelatin over 3 tbsp cold water in a small cup and keep aside to soften the gelatin.
In a non-reactive pan, combine the mango puree, milk and agave nectar and cook on medium heat stirring frequently till the liquid is heated through but not boiling.
Remove from the heat and keep a little away for serving over the dessert later.
To the rest of the liquid, add the softened gelatin and stir well till the gelatin is dissolved completely.
Pour this into six ramekins or pudding cups to form a layer of desired thickness.
Refrigerate for at least three hours till this layer is set.
Lychee Panna Cotta
- 1 cup lychee puree (1 can lychees in syrup)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1.5 cups low fat butter milk
- 4 tbsp agave nectar
- a few drops of vanilla essence
- 1 packet powdered gelatin (1 tbsp)
Method
Sprinkle gelatin over 3 tbsp cold water in a small cup and keep aside to soften the gelatin.
If using canned lychees, drain the lychees and process in a food processer or blender on high to form a smooth puree. Pass through a fine meshed sieve, while press with the back of a wooden spoon to remove the bits and pieces.
In a mixing bowl, add the butter milk and the lychee puree and whisk well to combine and keep aside.
Heat the cream, vanilla essence and agave nectar in a non-reactive pan on medium heat, till the cream starts to boil.
Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin and stir well till the gelatin is dissolved completely.
Add the buttermilk-lychee mixture to the heated cream and whisk well.
Pour into the half-jelly filled cups from the above step, and refrigerate for another 3 more hours.
To serve, dip the cups in hot water, and separate the pudding from the edges with a sharp knife. Be careful, you can see the damage done to my panna layer in the above picture. I strongly advice making this in transparent glasses, and serving it as such and avoid the disaster.
Pour some mango syrup from the first step over the dessert, and serve with a side of diced mango pieces, lychees and some crushed pistachios.
You can even totally skip the Mango jelly layer, and just drizzle mango syrup on the Lychee Panna Cotta. The Panna was amazingly smooth in texture, and was wonderful on its own.
So, that is my entry for A Fruit A Month - Lychees.
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40 Responses to “Lychee Mango Two Layer Pudding”
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you should be titled “panna cotta queen”. This looks really good, two of my favorite fruits. Cant go wrong. I think Jugalbandi’s had some info on agave nectar a while ago.
I’d love to get my teeth into this, Sig. There are people who hate litchi, there are people who love papaya (me), but even I draw the line at the thought of papaya desserts (I haven’t had any so far, except when some cheapo shop fills trifle pudding with it, and it’s awful).
Love it! I agree with the combo of lychees and mangoes-they rock together!! and the agave nectar idea is great, Sig.
He he, isn’t it fun to laze in front of TV and just enjoy a big bowl of chilled lychees :-D.
Ah! that yummy pudding (goes back to see the picture)!
Sra: papaya desserts, hmm, indeed one really needs to draw a line :-D.
Sig, That looks just wonderful! I just love it!!
wow anaother on your list of panna cota! looks great
Hmmm… yummy!
I am going to make something similar to my entry for the AFAM orange thing. No lychees available… maybe I should try the canned… maybe I should use gelatin and lychee syrup… let us see.
This looks delish Sig.
That looks lichicious sig..!hmm have to try this one to find out how the two flavours taste together.thanks.
I have yet to find lychees around here. Lychee and mango…. aah , heaven!!
beautiful… so tropical. How does the agave nectar taste?
How can anyone not like lychee?? Fresh or canned it is yummy.
Two of my favourite fruits as well…very nice desert:)…now, where’s the spoon
Sig looks good, I am not a lychee hater but I am not lover either but your panna cotta might sure convert me.
Agave nectar is sure the rage, have heard about it a lot but know nothing about it to add.
wow..that looks so inviting sig….
Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com
that looks very tempting Sig! it is a very nice combination and I can have lychee any time any where. Your version looks like a chef’s presentation.
Sig, you are incredible! Thats looks so good!
gorgeous. we have details about agave nectar in our pantry audit: sweeteners post.
Looks so good Sig. Divine is thw word. Love both lychees and mango, this is like god send
Love the Agave nectar and the pudding.Gorgeous! Don’t cook every recipe with Lychees,leave some for me!:)
I like Lychees too, little tangy but good.Btw,I did drive to the city and got the juice and the cans of Lychee.Haven”t cooked yet but is coming!:)
Agave Nectar sounds interesting…i read about that two days back too…..does it have any distinctive…unique taste…or just like sugar? have u tried adding it any other dessert?
Shn
Love the combo of Mango and lychee the panna cotta looks awesome.
Just a word on Agave Nectar, I have used it too as I wanted to cut back on sugar. But then realised that it has the same calories as sugar and though it has a low glycemic index, our body still process it like carbohydrates (sugar), the safe alternative I came through was Stevia. You can visit this website “http://www.stevia.com/” to get more information.
Again I am not an expert but doing my BS in Holistic Nutrition sure makes me research all these things and that is how I know this.
Hugs
Pintoo
This looks so perfect! The picture is so good and i’m not surprised that these 2 tropical fruits blended well.
WOW!! looks so very very yummy!!! mango and Lychee… wot a different combo!
Sig, The PAnna Cotta Diva.
One word - Amazing …
-Mythili
wowww..looks so good and mouth watering.I love puddings and this one is very good.Good entry for the event.
The two layer pudding looks divine and the presentation is superb. I love lychees and first time I tried them was in Araku (north andhra) since then love eating them. Hey Sig I may not be able to participate in AFAM -Lychees, pls excuse me, My IL’s are here and busy with them….
Yeah, this one really looks divine…to tell the truth, I dont eat mangoes at all and the last time I tasted lychees was when I was in my 6th std and was in calcutta visiting some family friends…and after you announced AFAM fruit, i made all the attempts to find lychee in the nearby farmer’s markets…but to no avail…
The lychee mango combo seems absolutely delicious
Sig is agave necter sold in specialy stores only ???
Also Congrats on ur new car, girl!!
themistressofspices.wordpress.com
I had lychee only once, it was in syrup and ladled over ice cream, did not like but I’ve never had it since. Perhaps one day I’ll try it again.
Where my bowl and spoon for the pudding?
Wow! this looks so beautiful…I wouldn’t want to disturb the presentation by eating this
Who can not like Lychees when they come in such a beautiful package…looks absolutely divine!
Oh MY!! How did you think of combining them!
They look like made for each other 
Beautiful pic SIG! 
You’ve combined two of my favorite fruits in one dessert. This makes this dessert 100x better!
I’ll have to keep an eye out for the agave nectar.
Archana,
panna cotta queen… lol I accept the crown… it is the easiest dessert in the world, and tastes like a million bucks, so why not? 
Sra, papaya desserts… hmm I am sure there is some good way to make a dessert out of papaya… let me think about that… but trifle pudding filled papaya really sounds bad
Musie, thanks darling…oh yeah a bowl full of lychees or cherries in front of TV, thats life
Cinnamon, Roopa thanks
Raaga, I can’t wait to see what you cooked up sweetie…
I’m sure Sachin enjoyed it too…
Madhuli, it really is a delicious combo, you must try it!
Jyo, it indeed was heaven :).
Latha, agave nectar tastes like sugar, but much sweeter, there is no after taste like the artificial sweeteners
Minko, My point exactly!
Sunita. thanks :), it is a great combo…
Indo, indifference to lychee is as bad as hating it :), you must try the panna cotta then
Srivalli, thanks
Sharmi, blush… thanks
Poonam, thanks
Bee, I checked out the post… thanks for all the info
Sandeepa, divine.. yep, it sure is a divine combo
Asha,
there are about 100 recipes with Lychee… and I am sure you will come up with something unique! Can’t wait to see your entry(ies?). 
Shn, nope, it doesn’t have any distinctive taste, just a sweeter version of sugar… I have made a fruit salad with it, and I love drizzling agave nectar on avalosu podi… it is a divine combo…
Pintoo, thanks for that info! I will definitely do more reasearch then… but it is still better than refined sugar I guess!
Laavanya, Manasi thanks
Mythili, Diva, queen… I am liking the names
Viji, thanks
Padma, don’t worry about participating girl… I totally understand… I know how it is… sometimes life happens to get in the way of blogging :D… I’ve been soo busy with my parents in town too.. its hard to keep up…
Bhags, WHATT? A mango hater!!!!!! I was shocked by lychee haters, but this is beyond that :D… lol, anyway at least you tried to find lychees, thanks for that girl…
Aruna. thanks girl… I bought the Agave nectar from Whole Foods Market, not sure if it is available in regular stores…. it is available online though Amazon.com
Cyn, oh..you had a bad lychee day… u must not give up, try it again, I’m sure you will love it!
tee, thanks :)…
Coffee thanks
I’ve been thinking of the combination for a while now.. it just felt like they will be a good match… 
Amy, it really is worth combining the two… my two fav fruits too…
Oops thats me on top… I accidentally commented from my mom’s id :(… don’t have the energy to redo it now…
Ayyo ponne,this is tooooo good…!!!!!!
yumm, lychee and mago… yummm…
agave nectar is great, isn’t it? i use it even in salad dressings/ vinaigrettes - especially raspberry vinaigrette…
hmmm… i have to come up with something for AFAM soon. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hail the QUEEN OF PANNA COTTAS!!!!!!!!!
Been missing you….say hi to the Lady of the Mist from my side…that used to be the place we had to take all our guests LOL!!!
omg!! this looks heavenly!!! i agree, how can someone not like Lychees!! its the fruit of Gods!!! hahaha…i love them and i love your dish!
good luck with your event..
-Mansi
Sig, this dish looks really beautiful. I liked it so much I want to make it right now as I have all the ingredients on hand. However, I don’t use regular gelation due to the animal extract in it. Can I use agar agar instead? And if yes, do the directions/amount change? Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Hi Anonymous, yes, you can definitely use agar agar. Sorry, I don’t know how much agar to use in this recipe, I don’t use agar agar. Check out this link, hope that helps. If you are in doubt, go easy on the agar, even if it doesn’t completely set, it is still tasty.
Let me know how it goes
Sig, I did use 1.5 tsp agar agar which unfortunately wasn’t enough for the panna cotta to set. However, as you said it didn’t matter coz it yet was thick and luscious. I will definitely use more agar agar next time. One question I do have is about the quantity of the butter milk. I felt it was a bit too much (very tangy and felt it eclipsed the taste of the lychee)….if I want to reduce the quantity from 1.5 cups to .5 cup do I need to increase any other ingredient quantity so that the proportions aren’t messed up?
btw, there was no link on your response to my comment….
thnx
nis