A Hint of Spice

Shrikhand is an Indian Sweet Dish made from strained yogurt.It is one of the famous desserts of Gujrati and Maharashtrian cuisine.This is a milk product and it takes some time to strain the water out of the yogurt,BUT it's worth the wait.The traditional way to make Shrikhand is to tie the yogurt in a piece of linen so that the liquid(whey) drains out and the yogurt becomes thick and creamy.Then sugar,cardamom powder,almonds,pistachios are added.The Shrikhand tastes best when it is served chilled.Now I am getting nostalgic....as kids,me and my little brother used to demand mom to make shrikhand and then we would keep a sharp eye on her,so that we are not cheated out of our rightful amount of this delectable dish.Then to top it off,we would take our own merry time enjoying every spoonful and our Dad having quickly finished his share would be left seeing us and waiting for seconds.Ha ha ha what a time.
The recipe I am sharing here is an easier(read quicker) way to make Shrikhand.
Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar (adjust the quantity according to your taste)
3 tblsp greek yogurt or 1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of saffron
1 tblsp lukewarm milk
2 tblsp Mango pulp(optional-If you want to make mango shrikhand)
Almonds,Pistachios,Cashewnut pieces for garnish

Directions
1.Mix Saffron in lukewarm milk.
2.Mix Sour cream,sugar and yogurt and leave them for 15 minutes at room temperature so that the sugar dissolves.
3.Pass the sour cream-sugar-yogurt mix through a sieve so that you get a creamier texture.
4.Add cardamom powder and mango pulp.
5.Add saffron (mixed with lukewarm milk) to give the shrikhand a nice color.
6.Add the almonds,pistachios and cashewnuts and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
7.Serve chilled
'njoy!!!
Sending this to Akheela from Torview for her Supercool Cold Desserts Event.

A few days back I was talking to my friend about Summer Vacations,kide being at home,mom's getting annoyed,kids getting bored....... and I started remininsing about the summer vacations I had as a kid.Spending time with my cousins at my grandpa's (my mom's parents) where we were involved in every kind of mischief you can think of.I miss those hot days where you are cooped in the home whole day as it's boiling hot outside.I miss eating kulfi's (a icecream) from the thela.I miss drinking homemade lemonade,Mango lassi,Sweet and Spicy Lassi, and Panha (I do homemade....but here homemade refers to everything made my mom or aunts and we enjoying it).

                 Well the Panha I wrote about above is a drink made from raw mangoes.It is a sweet-spicy-sour drink.The original recipes wanted us to boil the raw mangoes(called kairi),cooling them and taking the pulp off these raw mangoes.Then making a solution of sugar,water,salt and black pepper.Trust me it's heavenly.I miss it staying here in US as I don't get raw mangoes.Then a friend of mine -Priti from IHM( a forum ) mentioned a recipe of Panha using applesauce.Ohhhh thank you so much Priti.It turned out to be as good as the one my mom used to make with kairi.The recipe she mentioned was of a fellow blogger "The Cooker".

Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup water
6 tblsp lemon juice (less it you don't like tart Panha)
4 tsp sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
pinch of elaichi powder
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
Saffron strands(optional)

Directions
1.Heat the applesauce at low heat till it changes color.
2.Turn the heat off and add the sugar,salt,black pepper,lemon juice,saffron strands and water.
3.Mix well
4.Serve the Panha chilled.
'njoy!!!

Every year in late december I start looking for some special recipes I can make on our Anniversary ,which falls in late January.You all must be thinking why plan so long?Well,Planning is my middle name.When people say they are planning on a vacation to our place I start my menu planning.....hmmm.Well,this year I decided to make something easy and quick for our anniversary breakfast.It is so easy it feels like cheating.:)It was inspired by Semi Homemade by Sandra lee
(Please excuse the pictures.They did not turn  up as good as I wanted.)

    


1 can (13.9 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated orange flavor sweet rolls with icing (8 rolls)
Orange Marmalade or any other Jam or Jelly flavor you like
Heart shaped cookie cutter

DIRECTIONS
1.Heat oven to 400 degree Faranheit.
2.Spray some cooking spray on a cookie sheet or a rectangular piece of aluminium foil.
3.Take out the individual sweet rolls and roll them on a surface dusted with flour.
4.Cut out the rolls in desired shape....I used the heart shaped cookie cutter.
5.Repeat the same for all the 8 rolls.
6.You may be left with some dough from each of the rolls after cutting in the desired shape.
7.Using wet fingers ,make some grooves or indentation for the filling.
8.Bake the heart shaped biscuits in the oven  for 8-10 mins till golden brown.
9.Serve them warm with a filling of orange marmalade or any other jelly.I preferred orange marmalade,because firstly I had some of it made at home and secondly it goes with the orange flavored dough.
10.The pillsbury orange flavor sweet rolls  comes with icing.Drizzle it over the biscuits if you like them extra sweet.
11.Serve this with a side of sausages and fried eggs.Don't forget your espresso
'njoy!!!
           
Sending this recipe to Priya for her St.Valentine's Day Event.