Shrikhand: Kesar – Badam

It’s SUMMER! It’s hot and fruits get spoilt easily, appetites can’t be satiated because the heat is sickening and then there is sweat!

The heat is hitting peaks this summer and if this isn’t enough proof for climate change, I don’t know what is! As always I went to buy milk but I got a little lazy and instead of buying it in the morning I brought it in the afternoon and then carried it in a bag till I reached home and of course when it was kept for boil the milk split! I had one and half liters of split milk!

The blog apart from being our sanctuary is also now our superhero that makes us think beyond the crisis and own a disaster. I decided to use the split milk to make Shrikhand!

Ingredients:

1 and ½ litres worth of split milk. (You can also use 200ml of thick curd)

1 Tbsp curd. (If you are using split milk)

5 Almonds, finely sliced

5 Strands of saffron

7 Tbsp of powdered sugar

4 Cardamom pods finely powdered

1 Tbsp warm milk

Notes:       

·     We use Nandini milk (homogenized). This is lean milk with less fat. Yet, you can see the amount of curd got from 1 and a ½ liter of milk. The ‘fattier’ your milk, the thicker the curd. I am leaving a link that shows the specifications of all the variants of Nandini milk available in South India.

·       If you are using curd I’d recommend Milky Mist Dahi. 

Method:

1. Add a tablespoon of curd to the split milk (After it has completely

cooled down) to curdle and blend and leave overnight (Outside). In the

morning you will notice that the water has separated from the curd

mixture. Hang the curd in a soft muslin cloth to drain away excess water.

(Hang it for about 6 hours.) If you are using thick curds then you need to

hang it in a muslin cloth for about 2 – 3 hours.

2. Then soak saffron strands in warm milk for about 30 minutes.

3. Once the cottage cheese is ready, add powdered sugar and blend. Then

add cardamom powder and beat well. Now add milk infused with saffron

and blend the mixture. Top this with sliced almonds.

4. Refrigerate until serving time and you’ve got yourself a nice chilled

dessert.

Notes:    

·        I don’t like my sweets too sweet, so add sugar according to your taste.

·        You can even add a little bit of nutmeg and pistachios to this mixture.

·   If you are using thick curd you don’t need to add that additional tablespoon of curd as is necessary when using split milk.