This is basically jellied fruit juice or wine with cranberries suspended in it. A beautiful, light, and easy dessert for any occasion. Use any kind of juice or wine and add any fruit you like. Read on for some great gelee variations.

I used agar agar to set the gelee. This recipe using agar agar is inspired by Mark Bittman’s book, How to cook everything vegetarian.

Agar-agar, also known as kanten is a form of dried seaweed. It’s a fantastic vegetarian substitute for gelatin.  Gelatin, for those of you who don’t know, is a pork product. So if you are vegetarian or want to avoid pork products and derivatives, agar-agar is the best substitute.

Agar-agar comes in 3 forms:
-          Bars
-          Flakes
-          Powder

Basic recipe: How to set or jellify liquids using agar-agar or kanten

1 bar agar (0.25 oz) or 2 tablespoons agar flakes or 2 teaspoons agar powder
Note: Agar powder is a direct substitute for gelatin. So 2 teaspoon gelatin = 2 teaspoon agar powder
2 cups liquid (fruit juice, wine etc)

Place the agar in the liquid and bring to a boil. Boil until the agar melts completely. Continue cooking on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or till the mixture begins to gel and thicken. Pour into a serving  dish and place in the refrigerator to thicken further. The liquid will get thick and jell-o-like in about an hour.

Acidic juices may require more agar to set.

As you can see from the set gelees above, agar, unlike gelatin doesnt set clearly. So if your gelee is a little cloudy, dont worry, thats how agar sets. You can use any fruit juice you like for these gelees. I like sparkling juice or sparkling wine, champagne, or prosecco for this because the little bubble suspended in the gelee are beautiful.

Some gelee variations

substitute these ingredients in the recipe below

- Coffee and coconut milk gelee. Serve this after an asian style meal
- Champagne or Prosecco gelee with orange segments. Like a jellied mimosa; great for a holiday brunch
- Sparkling apple juice gelee with pomegranate seeds. A beautiful, refreshing dessert
- Lemonade gelee with lemon zest. Great end to a summer lunch, or serve this as a palate cleanser inbetween courses

Where to buy Agar agar

Any health food store or Asian store should have it.
You can also buy online, there is plenty of choice on Amazon.com

Sparkling Grape Juice or Sparkling Wine Gelee with Cranberries Recipe

Serves 2-3

½ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ bar of agar (or 1 tablespoon agar flakes or 1 teaspoon agar powder)
1 ½ cups sparkling grape juice or sparkling wine
a few cranberries

Run a little water over the agar bar to make it soft. Then tear it into small pieces. Omit this step if using flakes or powder. In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. When the sugar just about melts, add the agar pieces. Boil gently till the agar has completely melted. Continue cooking the liquid for another 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat. Slowly pour in the sparkling juice or wine. Stir gently, being careful not to release too many bubbles. Pour this mixture into champagne flutes or a serving dish, sprinkle cranberries on top and place in the fridge till set, about 1 hour.

Life doesn’t get simpler than this. Watermelon juice with nothing in it except….watermelon! I just cut up a seedless watermelon, removed the rind, put the fruit in a blender and then strained the juice out. Its even easier if you have a juicer; you don’t have to do the straining separately.

I decided not to add anything to the juice because it tasted fresh, fantastic, super fabulous all by itself.

But here are some great additions to watermelon juice:

• Sugar, honey or any other sweetener
• A pinch of Indian black salt, which always pairs well with fruits
• Lemon or lime juice
• Lemon or lime zest
• Mint
• Basil
• Alcohol (highly recommended!) – rum, tequilla or cahaca (my favorite)
• A little club soda to make watermelon spritzer (thanks Aparna!)

You cant go wrong with mixing and matching any of the above.

I served this watermelon juice, chilled, in mini flower vases with a sprig of mint.

What will you add to watermelon juice?

Rose flavoring is used mainly in Turkish sweets and desserts. I also had some really nice rose flavored tea in Istanbul. This drink is inspired by all the rose flavor I encountered in Turkey.

Rose Pomegranate Fizz
makes 2 cups
 
4 tbsp Sugar (more, if you like it sweeter)
3 tbsp Water
2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses*
¼ tsp rose water
2 cups chilled club soda or seltzer
A few rose petals

Microwave the sugar and water just until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool. Then mix all ingredients together except rose petals. Stir well to combine.

To serve, pour into glasses and float a few rose petals on top.

Notes
Make sure you use roses that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. Rinse the rose petals in cold water before using.

*If you dont have pomegranate molasses, use pomegranate juice. You may have to experiment with the pomegranante juice and club soda ratio (start with equal amounts of each).

This recipe yields a slightly sweet drink. Thats how we like it. If you want your drink to be sweeter, just use more sugar.

How to make your own rose water

I found rose water in my local grocery store. It will also be available in middle eastern stores. If you cant find rose water, here is a link to make your own on www.tipnut.com. See the section titled ‘homemade rosewater’. The recipe calls for steeping 1 cup of rose petals in 2 cups boiling water. Then cool, strain and use.