Spiced poached pears with turmeric, ginger and cardamom
A healthy but delicious dessert of poached pears in a turmeric and spice infused syrup, inspired by Indonesian jamu.
Print
Pin
Servings: 0 pears
Calories: 551kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoon honey, (or brown rice syrup or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds, (see recipe notes)
- 2 whole star anise
- Pinch ground black pepper
- 4-6 pears, (depending how many will fit in your saucepan)
Instructions
- Before you start, check how many un-peeled pears you can fit into a deep saucepan with a lid. The pears should fit in one layer. Snug is fine, but they need a little room so they can be turned during cooking.
- Combine all ingredients except the pears in the saucepan and stir to combine over medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, turn the heat down to low and prepare the pears.
- Peel the pears, leaving the stem intact if possible. Put the pears into the poaching liquid, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the pears are very tender. Turn after 10 minutes to ensure the pears cook evenly. Test for doneness by piercing the thick base of the pear with a bread and butter knife, which should meet very little resistance.
- Remove pears to a plate and set aside at room temperature if serving warm, or pop in the fridge for later if serving chilled (both are delicious).
- Simmer the remaining poaching liquid for about 20 minutes, until reduced by about three-quarters. Strain through a sieve and discard the chunky bits. Chill if desired.
- Serve with yoghurt, ice cream or custard and drizzle pears with a little poaching liquid.
Notes
- Nutrition information is estimate based on using four pears.
- Fresh is best when it comes to ground cardamom. Try to buy either whole cardamom seeds or pods then grind by hand using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. A quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom is equivalent to the seeds from approximately six pods.
- The quantity of pears is flexible depending on the size of your saucepan. I was able to fit five in mine. If you have a bigger pan that can fit six, add a splash more water.
- Pears can be stored in the fridge for a few days once cooked. If doing this, put them in a glass storage container (turmeric stains) and pour the reduced cooking liquid over them to keep them moist.
Nutrition information
Serving: 1pear | Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 146g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 916mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 104g | Vitamin A: 184IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @quitegoodfood or tag #quitegoodfood!
