Fruit gelato or sorbet?

Lou's Fluffy Cheese Cake.

Coconut sorbet. Seems like Lee had a good recipe for that.

Rice Pudding. A very common dessert in Indian/curry restaurants.

Ann

Wouldn't rice likely be served with the curry? And would that be an over kill of the rice?
Any ideas for a saffron dessert?....Cardamom?

What about chocolate mousse?

I haven't tried this yet, and not sure if it would work for you, but I recently found it and added it to my "to try" file. It does qualify as a cardamom dessert! LOL

Cardamom Citrus fruit Salad

1 large ruby pink grapefruit
3 oranges (navel, blood, mandarin or a combination)
1/4 c honey
2 T fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Peel the fruit and cut away the membranes from the individual segments with a sharp knife. Place peeled segments in a large bowl.

Drain off any excess juice from the fruit into a saucepan. Add the lime juice, honey and cardamom. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes then remove from heat and cool to room temp.

Pour over the fruit mixture and gently fold to coat fruit. Chill 15 minutes. Serves 4

Linda

I have not made this one yet, but it has been in my "To Try" File for a while...... I also have a great recipe for Margarita Cheesecake if you want something like that.

Alexa
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Chile-Lime Pineapple with Cardamom-Lime Ice Cream

This delightful combination of silky ice cream and sweet-tart-spicy pineapple can be made several days in advance and requires no ice-cream maker. Soaking the lime rind in boiling water helps remove any bitterness and softens the strips.

Ice cream:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 large pasteurized egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind

Pineapple:
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 tablespoons (1-inch) julienne-cut lime rind
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 hot red or green chile, seeded and minced
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 (1/2-inch) slices

To prepare ice cream, combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar; cook 3 minutes.

While sugar syrup cooks, place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until mixture is glossy and stiff (about 5 minutes).

Combine buttermilk, cream, 1/3 cup juice, and 1 teaspoon rind, stirring with a whisk; gently fold into egg white mixture. Spoon into a freezer-safe bowl; cover and freeze 8 hours or overnight.

To prepare pineapple, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 tablespoons rind in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Drain. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 cup boiling water and rind.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick (do not stir). Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons rind, 1/4 cup juice, and chile. Cool completely.

Place pineapple slices on a platter. Pour chile-lime syrup over pineapple; cover and chill at least 30 minutes. Serve pineapple and syrup with the ice cream.

Sara Lee (DARFC)

This combo sounds great to me. Mango seems like a natural choice (if you can find a ripe one)
Jo

Here is a link that might be useful: mango, lime and ginger cheesecake

Here the Indian restaurants all seem to serve rice pudding for dessert, along with lassi as anothre choice. Rice is also available as a meal choice, but curry doesn't come with it.

If it's a pot luck kind of thing You may be right that rice will be served with the curry to "stretch" it.

Mango? How about an easy mango ice cream with cardamom that does not require an ice cream machine?

Mango Ice Cream

3 cups mango puree
1 1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk (one 14-ounce can)
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (one 12-ounce can)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pistachios, for garnish (optional)
1/2 cup cubed mango, for garnish (optional)
Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Pour into twelve 1/2-cup ramekins, 3 ice cube trays or 15 to 18 Popsicle molds, cover and transfer to the freezer. If using Popsicle molds, place a stick in each mold once it is half-frozen, or after about 45 minutes. Freeze until completely hardened, about 2 hours if in ice cube trays and a little longer in larger shapes. The kulfi keeps for 1 month in the freezer.

If using ramekins or ice cube trays, when ready to serve, run a knife around the edges and unmold onto individual plates. (Serve 1 ramekin or 2 to 3 ice-cube-size portions per person.) Garnish with pistachios and cubed mango, if desired.

I haven't tried this one, but I found it when I had the 3/$1 mangoes and I saved it to try, it sounds good to me.

Mango Coconut Burfi

2 cups shredded coconut fresh/frozen
1/2 cup milk (2%)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mango pulp (fresh or canned)
1 Tbsp ghee (Indian calcified butter)
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1) Take a thick bottom pan and on low flame add the shredded coconut first and toast it until the coconut turns dry and gets a light brown color.

2) The coconut gets burnt very fast so great caution has to be used while toasting this. The aroma that the coconut emits at this time is simply divine.

3) Add the milk, sugar and mango pulp and stir continuously on medium flame.

4) Add the ghee at regular intervals. After about 15Â20 minutes the mixture starts becoming thick.

5) Now add the cardamom powder and mix thoroughly.

6) Grease a small plate and pour this mixture into it and even it on the top with a spoon or spatula so that it is about 0.5 inch thick.

Cut into desired diamond shapes or even make laddos (small balls) of this.

the recipe came from a site called keyingredient and there was a picture, it looked like a sticky coconut square of candy.

Annie

Not standard but would be an interesting addition: Arabic pudding.

Here are a couple of recipes I found online. The one I have had is at home and I am not. But it is a simple recipe. These look better.

Kishk El Fuara -Arabic Pudding-

One of the very delicate and smooth desserts in the Arab world is the simple Arabic Pudding called 'Kishk El Fuara'.
It is something like the well known 'Muhallabia', but with a tad bit of a difference.
It is so easy to make, and will be yummy to all tastes.

1 liter milk
2 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp sugar
a bit of rosewater

Boil the milk and then add the sugar over it a stir well. Add the corn starch, which has been diluted into a small glass of water, and pour in the rosewater.
stir well and pour into small bowls and put into the fridge until really cold.

Decorate the top with ground walnuts, almonds, pistachios and coconut.

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Cardamom & Saffron Pudding.

3 1/2 cups low fat evaporated milk.
3/4 cup water.
6 cardamom pods.
1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads or pinch.
4-5 Tablespoons sugar.
5-7 Tablespoons corn starch.
2 Tablespoons rose water.
1-2 Tablespoons qaimar (Optional).

1)Using mortar and pestle, lightly crush cardamom.

2)Combine cardamom, Saffron, water & Milk in pan, stir over low heat; simmer until boil.

3)Strain into medium pan discard cardamom pods, stir in sugar + corn starch, stir constantly over heat until mixture boils and thickens.

3) Remove from heat,than stir in rose water and qaimar.

4) Pour into small glass bowls.

5) Serve it warm or cold.

Topping Options:

*chopped pistachio.
*Strawberries,sliced.
*Nuts Cardamom & Saffron mix.

For (Nuts Cardamom & Saffron mix):
Toasted crushed nuts + pinch of ground cardamom + crushed saffron threads.

Here is a link that might be useful: Arabic puddings.

Thanks, guys....the request is for my friend who is keeping me out of the deep freeze, and providing me with food, drink and a bed! She has a pot luck after I head back to the freezer, asked me what I would suggest for dessert....and I came to the best resource I know!!
I'll pass the suggestions along....

How about carrot cake?

I would go with something plain in taste to compliment the curry like the rice pudding or a creme brulee (not exactly Indian but I think it would compliment the dinner.

Oooh! Here's another idea along the lines that georgysmom suggested...

From my To Try file:

COCONUT CREME BRULEE
Here's a rich, creamy classic with a tropical twist. Begin preparing it a day ahead.

1/2 cup plus 6 teaspoons sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 large egg
2 cups whipping cream
2/3 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk*
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in large roasting pan. Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks and whole egg in large bowl to blend. Combine cream, coconut milk and coconut in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Whisk into yolk mixture. Pour custard into cups, dividing equally.

Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are just set in center, about 35 minutes. Remove from water. Cool; chill overnight.

Preheat broiler. Arrange custard cups on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over each. Broil until sugar browns, rotating baking sheet for even browning and watching closely, about 2 minutes. Chill custards at least 1 hour before serving. (Can be broiled, then chilled up to 6 hours ahead.)

*Available at Indian, Southeast Asian and Latin American markets and many supermarkets.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon Appétit
January 2000

Linda

Linda canoe....that has my vote!!....but I am not the cook for this...
I'll copy and paste for her!
Linda C

All sounds very delicious. I would say anything with coconut will do great. Samoan sweet coconut buns (Pani Popo) goes very well with curry. Very sweet, very fattening but to die for! :-O

Al

Here's one with mangoes and pineapple. You could sprinkle it with some toasted coconut.

TRADEWINDS SORBET

2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 large ripe mangoes
1 (16 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 Tbs. lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar and corn syrup. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside and cool to room temperature. Peel mangoes. Cut pulp from seeds; discard seeds. In blender or food processor, puree mango pieces, pineapple with juice and lemon juice until mixture is almost smooth. Stir into cooled syrup. Pour into ice cream canister. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturerÂs directions. Makes about 2 quarts.

Freezer method: Pour prepared mixture into 9 inch square pan and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Place mixture in freezer; freeze until almost firm, 1 to 3 hours. Break into small pieces. Spoon half of mixture into chilled food processor bowl or a chilled large bowl. Beat with metal food processor blade or with electric mixer until light and fluffy but not thawed. Repeat with other half of partially frozen mixture. Immediately return beaten mixture to pan and freeze until firm, 1 to 3 hours.

I find curries so rich and filling (or maybe I just eat too much) that I usually serve only a fresh fruit plate with coffee.

I've made that coconut creme brulee (brulee is my favorite dessert/anything coconut is a close second). It's to die for. Don't wait any more doucanoe, Linda!

Lindac, they'd be great as they have be made ahead and refrigerated in order to serve them anyhow. Sounds good to me for a potluck dish.

How 'bout Gulab Jamun? This is a recipe I got years ago from an Indian friend, and is also served at our local Indian restaurant (along with rice pudding).

Gulab Jamun

1 1/2 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 cup shortening (margarine, crisco or butter)
1/4-1/2 pint yoghurt

Mix with hands to a doughy consistency and roll into balls. (Roll in flour if wet) Fry in hot fat until medium brown. Soak in syrup.

Syrup:
3 cups sugar
4 cups water
About 2 Tbsp. rosewater OR about 10 crushed cardamom seeds.
(Since the word gulab means rose, the syrup should be made strictly speaking with rosewater. However, since many people do not like the taste of rosewater, cardamom is a perfectly acceptable substitute. Exact amount of rosewater will vary with the quality of the product.

Bring water and sugar to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add rosewater or cruished cardamom. Leave in simmer and add balls. Should be served warm.

Nancy