SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

    Shrikhand is a popular dessert from the Western States of India - Maharashtra & Gujarat. Shrikhand, colloquially called 'Matho' is one must serve dessert in a Wedding Thali Meal. It is mentioned as Shikhrini in Sanskrit Literature. Shrikhand is made from hung Curd/Yoghurt referred to as 'Chakka' in Marathi. Hung Curd is the thickest form of a Curd where all its whey has drained off & only the thick Curd/Yoghurt is left out.

    Shrikhand is an extravagant avatar from the humble homemade Curd/Yogurt. Homemade Curd/yoghurt with a few processes & add-ons it is converted into a creamy, smooth, silky-textured Shrikhand. An easy, no-cook recipe loaded with nutrition, digestive agents and above all - a guilt-free sweet indulgence. Shrikhand recipe is made from thick hung Curd/Yoghurt, powdered Sugar, Cardamoms, Saffron with a bit of milk and served with loads of slivered nuts. Shrikhand is served as a dessert in a Thali Meal or sometimes served along with Rotis or Puris.

    'Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand' - Saffron & Cardamom flavoured Shrikhand is the basic recipe. Yet another popular variation of the same dessert is Mango Shrikhand where they add Mango Pulp along with hung Curd/Yoghurt. You would just need 3 ingredients to make Shrikhand - Hung Curd, powdered Sugar, Cardamom Powder. Adding Saffron, dry fruits, nuts, rose petals etc., are optional.

    Traditionally, a device called Puran Yantra was used to hang & drain the Curd/Yoghurt. But a clean cloth is just what we would need for the job. Pour the yoghurt/curd into the kitchen cloth and tie it up together with a knot. Place it on top of a deep vessel, until all the whey is removed from the Curd/Yoghurt. I leave it in the refrigerator overnight. This way, the Curd/Yoghurt wouldn't get sour. 

     Once the hung Curd/Yoghurt is ready, you can leave it in the refrigerator and make this dessert immediately, whenever you want it.  It can be incorporated within minutes & leave it in the refrigerated chilled.  Serve it in a Thali Meal or as a dessert. 

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 Cuisine - Maharashtrian, Gujarati (Indian)

 Recipe Type - Dessert

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 3-4

 Author - SM  

Preparation Time(For Hung Curd) - 5 -6 Hours/Overnight

Preparation Time(For Shrikhand) - 25 -30 Minutes.

Cooking Time - Nil

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SHRIKHAND - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

Points to remember while making Shrikhand

Curd/Yogurt -

• Use fresh homemade Curd/Yoghurt. Make sure it is not sour. Leave the Curd/Yoghurt to drain in the refrigerator.
• If using store-bought Curd/Yoghurt, make sure it is fresh. 
• If you are in short of time, Greek Yogurt would be a good choice. As Greek Yogurts tend to be naturally thick, it would require less time to drain off the whey.

For a detailed Recipe on HOW TO MAKE CURD/YOGHURT, Click here...

Sugar -

• Use normal sugar for the recipe. Powder it using a blender.
• Store-bought powdered sugar has cornflour added into it which will alter the texture of this dessert.
• Can substitute Sugar with Honey. 

Add-ons -

• Classic Shrikhand is flavoured with Cardamoms.
• Some recipes call for adding Saffron in it.
• Dry fruits & nuts can be added for an extra note of crunchiness in the dessert. 
• Add few Rose Petals for extra flavouring.
• Can give a twist to this classic dessert by adding  your choice of fruit pulp.
• Mango Shrikhand is yet another popular variation of the same dessert.
  

HOW TO MAKE SHRIKHAND

SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

Lets first start with making HUNG CURD,

INGREDIENTS:

For Hung Curd:

Homemade Curd/Yoghurt - 41/2 Cups to 5 Cups

Utensils Needed:

Strainer

Deep Bowl

Kitchen Cloth/Muslin Cloth/Cheese Cloth

METHOD:

For Hung Curd:

• Place a clean kitchen cotton towel/cheesecloth/muslin cloth over a strainer.
• Place the strainer on a deep bowl/vessel.
• Pour the fresh Curd/Yoghurt into it.
• Bring together the four edges of the kitchen cloth & tie it up using one end tightly around.
• Gently press and drain off the whey.
• When most of the whey water has drained off, place it on top of a deep bowl.
• Alternatively, you can hang it down on a hook in your kitchen counter.
• I leave the bowl in the refrigerator(Overnight or for 4-5 hours). As I live in a tropical climate, Curd/Yoghurt tends to get sour soon.
• So, I left the Curd/Yoghurt in the refrigerator overnight.
• Use a deep bowl/vessel to drain off the whey water. There should be some distance between the Curd/Yoghurt in the strainer & the whey.
• If the bowl happens to be shallow, the hung Curd/Yoghurt tend to get in contact with the whey, which will not help the process. The Curd/Yoghurt would tend to have some whey in it even after a long time of draining.
• Next day or once the whey is drained off from the Curd/Yoghurt, collect the drained whey.
• Whey can be used while kneading the dough for Chapatis, Rotis or into Curries, Dhals etc.,
• The Hung Curd colloquially called Chakka should be very thick, smooth & creamy.
• It would have a texture similar to a Cream Cheese.
• Collect the thick hung Curd/Yoghurt from the cloth into a bowl (silicon spatula works best for the purpose).
• Cover the bowl with a lid and store the hung Curd/Yoghurt in the refrigerator until use.
• Hung Curd/Yoghurt is used in a variety of dishes like Dahi Kebab, can be used as a spread in Sandwiches, as a filling in Parathas, as a dressing for Salads & Raithas and can be converted into a variety of desserts like Shrikhand, Parfaits, Puddings etc.,

SHRIKHAND - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

For Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand: 

Hung Curd - 3 Cups

Sugar - 6-7 Tablespoons

Cardamom - 4-5 Pods

Saffron - few strands

Milk - 1/2 Tbspn

For Garnishing:

Slivered Almonds - few

Slivered Pistachios - few

Chironji - few

Rose Petals - few (Optional)

Saffron Strands - few (Optional)

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Soak a few saffron strands in 1/2 a tablespoon of warm milk for about 10-15 minutes.
• Grind the Cardamom Pods into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Powder the sugar using a small blender jar/coffee grinder.

For Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand:

• Take about 3 Cups of Hung Curd/Chakka in a deep bowl.
• Add powdered sugar, saffron soaked milk & cardamom powder to the hung Curd/Yoghurt.
• Use an electric beater or a wire whisk to whip up the hung Curd/Yoghurt. Alternatively, use a blender to beat the ingredients.
• Whip up the ingredients until smooth, fluffy& the sugar is well dissolved.
• Adjust the amount of sugar at this stage.
• Transfer it into serving bowls, garnish Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand with slivered Nuts and serve it chilled.
• Keep it refrigerated until you serve. 
• Shrikhand - Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand  can be served as a dessert in a Thali Meal or serve it as a side dish for Rotis or Puris.

NOTES:

• Use fresh homemade Curd/Yogurt for best results.
• If you are using store-bought Curd, make sure it is not sour.
• Leave the curd to drain off on a deep bowl, preferably in a refrigerator.
• Store the hung curd in the refrigerator until use.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• Powder the sugar using a blender. Do not use store-bought powdered sugar.
• Garnish Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand with your choice of nuts or dry fruits.
• Keep it chilled until you serve.

SHOP RELATED PRODUCTS:

PEAR HALWA

    As sceptical as ever, my daughter lifted her brow when I handed her a bowl of Halwa. Though I didn't mention what it was, she was damn sure that it was experimental. It looked like Kasi Halwa(Poosanikai Halwa) she was trying to find what the base ingredient was. She said some fruit, maybe apple and I said, it was Pear Halwa. She is biased when it comes to experimental recipes like this though she loved the texture of the Halwa, especially the texture of crunchy nuts in it. My next victim was my husband, who ate it with no comment. Then asked for an extra serving, I knew it was good. Have made this Pear Halwa three times in a row, just with the idea of finishing a whole lot of Pear.

    Why Pear Halwa? When you end up with having a few Pears just bland, eating it as such was not working & I was wondering what I could make out of it. And there I went with my whims & fancies & tried to recreate a version of Halwa with Pears. I was totally convinced with the results, perfected the measurements in my second attempt & here you go with the recipe. Trust me you can surely give a try & it is not going to disappoint you at all. 

    I followed the same method as for Kasi Halwa(Poosanikkai Halwa). Pear Halwa is prepared with Pears, Sugar, Ghee and Cardamom Powder and garnished with an extra bit of slivered Almonds & Cashew nuts fried in ghee which gives a whole lot of crunchy texture in every bite. I have not added Milk in this recipe. You have no strict rules while making this Halwa. Pears with its unique taste & the roasted slivered Nuts add texture to this Pear Halwa. And above all, this is an easy recipe & can be incorporated within minutes. 

    Just one thing to remember - Use the grated Pears immediately.  Otherwise, it tends to get oxidized & the colour of the Halwa may turn dark. No need of squeezing out any extra water in it. Add the grated Pears into the Ghee and cook it on a low flame until it turns soft &tender. Let the mixture be dry before adding sugar & flavourings into it. And when it comes to Sugar, I have added 1/4 Cup of Sugar for 2 Cups of Pear. The Pear I used was not sweet. If you are using a sweet variety, I suggest you to adjust it accordingly.

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 Cuisine - Indian

 Recipe Type - Sweet

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 2-3

 Author - SM  

 Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes.

 Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes.

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HOW TO COOK PEAR HALWA 

PEAR HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

For Pear Halwa:

Ghee - 3-4 Tbspns

Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos.

Almonds - 10 Nos. 

Pear - 2 Cups

Sugar - 1/4 Cup

Cardamom - 2-3 Pods

Saffron - few Strands

Yellow Food Colouring - few Drops(Optional)

 Salt - a Pinch

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Grind Cardamoms along with few teaspoons of sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of warm water.
• Sliver the Nuts and keep them aside. 
• Wash, peel & cut the Pears into halves.
• Remove the Seeds.
• Grate the Pears using a grater.
• Use the grated Pears immediately. 

For Pear Halwa:

• Heat 3 Tbspn of Ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, roast the slivered, Almonds & Cashew Nuts.
• Add the grated Pears and cook on a medium-low flame for a few minutes.
• Cook the Pears until it turns soft & tender.
• Cook until the Pears turn dry and there is no water.
• Now add the sugar along with Saffron soaked Water, Cardamom Powder and give a quick stir.
• Add a few drops of yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for about 5-7 Minutes.
• At this stage, Pear Halwa starts to bubble up.
• Now add a Tablespoon of Ghee and give a quick stir.
• Cook this on a low flame for another 5-7 Minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt and the remaining Ghee to the Halwa and mix well.
• When the Ghee starts to separate & the Pear Halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan, switch off the fire. 
• Serve Pear Halwa hot or at room temperature.
• Can keep it refrigerated.  
• Lasts up to a week when refrigerated. 
• The texture of the Halwa remains the same when refrigerated.

PEAR HALWA

NOTES:

• Grate the Pears evenly, which would facilitate even cooking.
• Once the Pears are grated, use it immediately.
• Otherwise, the Pears may tend to get oxidized.
• There is no need to squeeze the extra water out of the Pear.
• It helps the Pears to get cooked well.
• Saute the grated Pears and cook it along with the water until it turns soft, cooked and there is no more water content, before adding the sugar. 
• Some recipes call for adding Milk in the recipe.
• Can use 1/4 Cup of Milk and cook for an extra bit of time until the mixture turns dry before adding the sugar.
• Perfectly cooked Pears gives a perfect texture to the Halwa.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• I have flavoured the Halwa with Cardamom Powder.
• Adding a bit of extra Ghee will give a rich texture to the Pear Halwa.
• Adding Saffron is purely optional.
• Adding artificial food colouring is purely optional.
• I have added a few drops of yellow food colouring to the Pear Halwa. Can use orange/green food colouring too.
• Adding a pinch of salt to the Halwa is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of the dessert.

SHOP RELATED PRODUCTS:

NAMAK PARE

     Namak Pare - though the name is new to me, I had been preparing this recipe in the name of spicy Diamond Cuts since my college days. Though with a slight variation and when I started frequenting with Chaat Items at home I started preparing Papdi, Puri, Boondhi, Sev etc., Long & tiring process, I started converting Papdis into Namak Pare, cutting them into diamond shapes seemed to be an easy task otherwise which needed me to roll out the dough and cut small roundels out it, prick it out with a fork so that it doesn't fluff up etc., & etc.,

    This way just cutting it out into diamond shapes with the cutter was less time consuming for me. So I started making some batches of Namak Pare which can be eaten as a snack and also can be crushed and added into Bhel Puris. 

    Namak Pare is a crispy, tasty and savoury fried snack which is quite popular in North India. There is another counterpart of the same snack, a sweet version called Shakkarpare/ Shankarpali. The process of making this snack is an easy one except for the cutting and frying portion takes a bit of time & patience. The trick to making crunchy Namak Paare is to knead the dough as tightly as you can and fry them on medium-low heat. The amount of ghee added to the flour while kneading makes Namak Pare deliciously crunchy.

    Namak Pare is a good Teatime snack. Serve it along with hot Chai or a cup of Coffee. It is also one snack popular during Diwali & Holi. With the upcoming Diwali season, you can easily sneak in this simple Namak Pare recipe into your Savoury list. These are also great to serve to guests, along with Murukku, South Indian Mixture, Roasted Cashews, Sweet Mixture, Moong Dhal Namkeen,
Oma Podi, Aloo Bhujia etc., & etc.,

For more recipes on SNACKS & SAVOURIES, Click here...

Cuisine - North Indian
Recipe Type - Snacks
Spice Level - Low
Difficulty - Medium
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 25-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30 -45 Minutes
 

HOW TO MAKE NAMAK PARE 

NAMAK PARE

 

Two main factors to remember for crispy Namak Pare

• The dough should be slightly stiffer.
• Fry the Namak Pare on a medium-low flame until it turns into Golden Colour.  

INGREDIENTS:

For Namak Pare: 

All-purpose Flour(Maida) - 2 Cups

Baking Soda - 1/4 Tspn

Salt - To Taste 

Carom Seeds(Ajwain) - 1 Tspn

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tspn(Optional)

Oil/Ghee - 2-3 Tbspn

Water - 1/2 - 3/4 Cup(Approximately)

For Frying:

Oil

METHOD:

For the Dough:

• Sieve the All-purpose Flour (maida) along with baking soda & salt once.
• Add Carom Seeds(ajwain), Cumin Seeds to the sieved flour and give a quick stir.
• Pour in the Oil/Ghee.
• Add little water at a time and knead it into a slightly stiffer dough.
• Add water at intervals. Do not pour in all the water at a time.
• I used approximately a little lesser than 3/4 Cup of Water.
• Amount of water required depends on the quality of the flour.
• The dough should be slightly stiffer.  

For Namak Pare:

• Divide the Dough into 3 Balls and keep them aside.
• Dust the Dough Balls with some All-Purpose Flour and roll it out into a flat, neither too thin nor thick circle.
• Cut the circles into Diamonds/Squares with a Knife/ Spiral Cutter.
• Transfer the Cut Diamonds/Squares to a plate dusted with All-Purpose Flour.
• Follow suit for rest of the dough balls.

For Deep Frying:

• Heat Oil in a Deep Pan or a Wok.
• Once the oil becomes hot, reduce the flame to medium-low.
• Gently drop the Cut Diamonds/Squares into the Oil.
• Fry the Namak Pare on a low- medium flame until it turns into Golden Colour.
• Once done, remove the fried Namak Pare with slotted spoons from the oil.
• Drain them on Paper towels 
• Once cooled down, store them in airtight containers.
• If stored properly, it may last up to a week to 10 days.

Baking Namak Pare In an Oven:

• Follow the steps as above until cutting the Namak Pare into desired shapes.
• Preheat an Oven at 160°C.
• Spray the baking tray with Oil.
• Line it up with the cut diamond-shaped/square shaped Namak Pare.
• Bake it in the preheated Oven at 160°C for about 25 - 30 Minutes.

NAMAK PARE

NOTES:

• Can substitute half the amount of All-purpose Flour with Wheat Flour(Aata).
• Some recipes even call for adding a few teaspoons of Semolina while kneading the dough.
• The dough should be stiff, which is the main factor behind crispy Namak Pare.
• Can use Ghee/Oil for the recipe. Both work equally well.
• Don’t roll it too thin. Roll it as you do it for chapati, but slightly thicker.
• Can use a Knife/Spiral Cutter/Pizza/Pie Cutter for the purpose.
• Cut the flat circles into long rectangular shapes or squares or diamond shape.
• Fry the Namak Pare on a low- medium flame until it turns into Golden Colour.

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