Dessert has the power to make us go weak at the knees and there is no denying the fact that a fabulous sweet treat is a befitting end to any meal.

It makes it even more spectacular when east meets west, which is where this month’s recipe comes in. I have taken a classic dessert cheesecake and dressed it up with Indian flair. The use of Indian flavours creates something a little different yet familiar at the same time.

In this case, I’m using an ingredient that’s incredibly popular in both savoury and sweet dishes in India and throughout Asia – jaggery. When you marry the flavours of jaggery and cheesecake, you are in dessert heaven!

If you haven’t heard of or seen jaggery in the flesh, it’s an unspun, unrefined sugar product. As it’s not spun during production, the molasses remain, giving it a deep, rich sugar-like flavour. In appearance, it looks like rough cubes that range in colour from light golden to dark brown.

Whether you’re an Indian-Australian or not, this jaggery-flavoured dessert is a great excuse to get sweet with a twist! Get ready to surprise your guests with my creation after a heartfelt dinner.

See Sashi’s recipe for jaggery cheesecake here.