Shrikhand

A little something about today’s sweet dish…..

Shrikhand is an Indian dessert made of strained yogurt. It is one of the main desserts in Maharashtrian cuisine. The yogurt is tied and hung until all the water has drained off, the result being a thick and creamy strained yogurt. Cardamom & sugar is added to it.

To make another popular dessert known as amrakhand just add mango pulp or freshly chopped mangoes to the shrikhand & adjust the sweetness & a yummy dessert is ready .Both these desserts can be eaten on their own or can be served with puris. Amrakhand is usually made in the summers in mango season when there are plenty of alphanso mangoes arround.

Ingredients

1/2 kg. curds
250 gms. sugar(as per taste)
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
few strands saffron
1/2 tbsp. pistachio,cashews, almond crushed

Procedure

1. Tie curd in a clean muslin cloth overnight (i used 1 can of biopot natural set yogurt)

2.Once the water is drained take the thick curd (chakka) into a bowl, add sugar and mix.

3. Keep aside for 25-30 minutes to allow sugar to dissolve.

4. Beat well till sugar has fully dissolved into curd.

5. Mix in cardamom powder and dissolved saffron and half nuts.

6. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.This sweet dish goes well with puris.

Thalipeeth

It is a multi-grain mildly spiced flat bread, very nutritious & tasty.

The recipes for thalipeeth varies from kitchen to kitchen, I am giving you my away from home adopted version here.

In Maharashtra, a particular flour mixture called "bhajani" is widely used to make thalipeeth, which consists of many different types of roasted grains,spices & pulses.

Wheat, rice, corn, bajra, jowar, millet some dals like chickpeas, moong & spices like coriander seeds, are added together roasted & ground to have a typical aromatic flour. This flour is prepared in large quantities & stored & can be used as required. This same flour is also used to make bhajniche vadde.

At home thalipeeth is usually accompanied by matkich ussal, dahi(curd),loni (butter)& loncha?(pickle)!

This can be had as a main meal or as breakfast dish or just as a tea time snack on its own without any accompaniments !!In olden days this used to be a favorite travel snack as it stays good for 2-3 days.

Hope u enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups rice flour
1 Cup gram flour
1/4 Cup wheat flour/all purpose flour
1 & 1/2 Cup of finely chopped onions
1tsp. garlic paste
3 green chillies
1tsp. jeera
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
Cilantro/coriander (finely chopped)
Oil
Salt as required

Procedure

1. Take a large bowl, put all the above ingredients into it and mix them well.
2. While mixing, add appropriate quantity of water to form smooth and stiff dough.
3. Form small balls from this dough. Take a large cotton cloth or kerchief / thick plastic bag greased with tsp. of oil and flatten a ball on the foil to get the shape of roti with wet hand (this will avoid the dough sticking to your hand).
4. Pre-heat a non-stick pan on the stove with 1 tsp. of Oil.
5. Now place thekerchief on the pan, with the dough on the pan surface and the kerchief facing upwards.
6. Gently peelout the kerchief and let the dough to cook till it becomes light brown on both sides.
7. Repeat the same for the rest. Serve it with butter, curds & pickle.