Aloha Kurma! I recently saw in your newest cookbook Vegetarian World Food a delightful recipe for a no-bake cheesecake based around condensed milk that we used to make ‘way back when’ and sell by the slice at the Jagannatha Ratha Cart festival in Berkeley California. What a delight! Do I have to buy the book to remember the recipe? By the way, I love your cookbooks and your videos as well. Wish we could see you on the Food TV network again!
(Stritama Dasi, Hilo, Hawaii)

Aloha to you Stritama Dasi!
No you don't have to buy the book to get the recipe. It is a very popular cheesecake, and works every time. Would you like to see a mouth-watering picture of a slice? Click here. And the recipe...

Quick Cherry Cheesecake

This delectable and good-looking cheesecake requires no baking. It features a biscuit crumb base and a filling of cream cheese folded with plump sour cherries.

Preparation & cooking time: 20 minutes
Cheesecake chilling time: at least 3 hours
Makes: one 20cm (8-inch) cheesecake

180g (6 ounces) fairly plain sweet biscuits
100g (4 ounces) butter, chopped
1 teaspoon bitter almond extract, optional
one 400g (14-ounce) tin sweetened condensed milk
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
250g (9 ounces) cream cheese, chopped
1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
1¼ cups sour cherries in syrup, drained well
¼ cup sour cherries, plus ½ cup syrup reserved for topping

Prepare the base: Process the biscuits in a food processor until a fine powder. Drop in the butter and the optional bitter almond extract. Process until the mixture is fully blended. Remove the mixture and press it evenly into the base and up the sides of a pre-buttered 20cm (8-inch) fluted pie tin.

Prepare the filling: Add the condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla and cream cheese to the food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the mix to a bowl. Fold in the 1¼ cups drained sour cherries. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.

Prepare the topping: Combine the cornflour (cornstarch) with a couple of teaspoons cherry syrup to make a runny paste. Combine with the remaining syrup and the reserved sour cherries in a small saucepan, and stirring, bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat. When the mixture thickens, quickly pour it over the top of the cheesecake and spread it as desired.

Chill the cheesecake for at least 3 hours before removing from its base.

Serve: The cheesecake is at its best served the next day.

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