Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a traditional Indian sweet dish made with hung curd. Its mostly prepared in Maharashtra during Holi and Gudi Padwa (Maharashtrian new year). It's one of the most yummy and refreshing desserts. This recipe will make around 4-6 bowls of shrikhand, depending on the thickness of the curd.

What do I need??

1.5 lt thick Curd
2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 pinch of saffron strands
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1 cup finely chopped mixed dry fruits, like pistachios, cashews and almonds

What are the steps??

Preparing Hung curd or Chakka

1. First line a strainer with a muslin or soft cotton cloth and place it on a deep bowl.
2. Pour the curd into the lined strainer. Bring the edges of the cloth together and tie into a tight knot.
3. Gently press and make sure that whey is dripping out.
4. Now hang the cloth on hook, cabinet handle or refrigerator handle, so that the whey is allowed to drip down. Place a big bowl to collect the whey and leave the curd hanging for 5-6 hours or over night.
5. The hung curd prepared this way will be rich and creamy. With this 1.5 lt curd, you should get around 500-600 gms hung curd. But this may not be exact measure, it will depend on the thickness of the curd. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Preparing Shrikand

1. Take 1 tablespoon warm milk and add the strands of Saffron to that. Let it rest for sometime for the saffron to leave its natural colour.

2. Add the powdered sugar to the hung curd or chakka slowly and keep mixing well. You can also use an electric mixer for the same. The sugar should get completely dissolved in the curd and the mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add sugar according to taste. 

3. Add the saffron, nutmeg powder and dry fruits and mix well. The Shrikhand is ready to be served.

Any tips??

1. Add cardomom powder if nutmeg is not available
2. Add a bit of cold milk if consistency is too thick.

Til or sesame chutney with a twist

This is a lovely til chutney which goes well with parathas, especially methi parathas. This recipe has a  special twist. Wait for it!

What do I need??

6 tablespoons til or sesame seeds
3 tablespoons of chopped coriander
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
1 tablespoon jaggery
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies
2 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 pinch hing or asafoetida powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
2 tablespoon Oil
Salt to taste

What are the steps??

1. Dry roast the til until they are fragrant and light brown. Be careful not to burn them.

2. Once the roasted til have cooled down, add the til, tamarind pulp, coriander, jaggery, green chillies and salt to a grinder jar and grind to a fine paste. Add water as required.

This chutney is now ready to be served as it is. To add an extra flavour follow these steps.

1. Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle.
2. Add hing and chopped onions. Mix well.
3. Sauté the onions on medium flame until they are soft. Now switch of the heat and add turmeric and red chilly powder.
4. Add these sautéed onions to the chutney and mix well. Your chutney is ready to be served.

Serve with parathas, thalipeeth or akki roti.

Any tips??

1. Avoid red chilly in the last step if the chutney already has the right spice level.
2. Add aamchur or dry mango powder if tamarind pulp is not available.