Mango Shrikhand

Mango Shrikhand is a curd / yogurt based sweet dish, which is made during the Mango season.  It tastes good with pooris. By adding mango puree to the hung curd along with rest of the ingredients, we make Mango Shrikhand.

We always use fresh curd to prepare shrikhand, preferably home made curd. Homemade curd / yogurt is used to prepare hung curd / hung yogurt. No artificial colours or flavourings have been used to prepare this mango Shrikhand. I flavoured the Shrikhand with some cardamom powder and saffron. Depending on the sweetness of the mango, we add sugar to this Shrikhand.

I first made this hung curd to make Mango Shrikhand.

Here are the step by step pictures on how to make hung curd.

(1) Keep the four things ready -> A container, a colander or filter, curd (called Dahi in Hindi), and Muslin or Cheese cloth.

(2) Place a colander or filter over the container to collect the whey.

(3) Spread the muslin or cheese cloth over the colander or filter.

(4) Put curd on the centre of the cloth as shown in the image.

(5) Make a knot and squeeze the curd inside the cloth so that the whey oozes out of the cloth and falls in the container. We do till maximum of the whey is squeezed out.

Then place the tied curd in the strainer and allow the whey to drip into the container.

Leave it for about 30 minutes.

(6) After 30 to 45 minutes, again squeeze out the extra whey into the container.

(7) Put the cloth on the colander and cover it. Keep it in the refrigerator for 4 - 8 hours.

After four hours, the hung curd is ready.

This hung curd is used for making Mango Shrikhand.

Following ingredients are used to prepare the Mango Shrikhand.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) 500 gms of hung curd prepared from homemade curd or dahi or one brought from store.

(2) 1 Mango, chopped and pureed.

(3) Powdered sugar, (Put amount as per sweetness required)

(4) Saffron milk

(5) Cardamom powder (of green cardamom called Hari elaichi or choti elaichi in Hindi)

(6) Crushed dry nuts like cashews, almonds and pistachios.

PREPARATION :

(1) Prepare hung curd using the instructions given about how to prepare hung curd and keep aside.

(2) Peel a mango, discard the skin and seeds of it and chop the pulp. Put the chopped mangoes in the blending jar and blend them to form a smooth puree. Keep the Mango puree aside.

Mango

Peel the skin of the mango

After peeling off the skin of the mango

Chop the pulp of the mango into bite sized pieces. Note that the seed kept aside is to be discarded.

Chopped mango pieces

Put the mango pieces into a blending jar and blend to form a smooth puree

Mango Puree

(3) Using a mortar and pestle, crush the dry fruits like Almonds, Pistachios and Cashews and keep them aside in separate bowls each.

Crushed Almonds

Crushed Pistachios 

Crushed Cashews

(4) You can form powdered sugar by grinding the sugar granules in a mixer grinder or buy readymade powdered sugar.

Powdered Sugar

(5) Put 2 pinch of saffron strands in 20 ml of hot milk for 15 minutes. This will cause the colour of the saffron to get incorporated well in the milk to form saffron milk. Keep aside.

Saffron Milk

(6) Keep Cardamom powder aside.

METHOD :

(1) Keep together all the required ingredients as shown in the image.

Hung Curd, Mango Puree, Powdered Sugar, Saffron Milk,
 Crushed Cashews, Pistachios and Almonds

Cardamom powder

(2) Take hung curd in a large bowl as shown.

Hung Curd

(3) Add Saffron Milk.

(4) Add Mango puree.

(5) Add powdered sugar.

(6) Whisk well till well blended.

(7) Add half the amount of crushed dry fruits now and whisk well again. Keep the remaining dry fruits for garnishing later.

(8) Add Cardamom powder. 

Whisk well again.

(9) Refrigerate the prepared Mango Shrikhand for 2 hours.

(10) Take out the Mango Shrikhand from the fridge and serve chilled in a serving bowl and garnish with remaining dry nuts.

(11) Serve this creamy Mango Shrikhand, topped with mixed dry fruits along with steamy hot Pooris as shown.

Note that Mango Shrikhand is loaded with calories, so have it as an occasional treat.

Avacado Milkshake

Avacado is also known by the name Makhanphal or Butter fruit. They are cultivated in the tropical and Mediterranean climate throughout the world. They have a green skin and fleshy body and are pear shaped or spherical or egg shaped. 

AVACADO

For those who love Avacado, this fruit can be used to prepare creamy and smooth milkshake, which can be a treat during hot summers. But as Avacado is bland in taste, adding sugar is a must while preparing this milkshake. Avacado pulp has a creamy texture and hence its milkshake does not need ice cream to bring creaminess. Use non dairy milk (like almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk)  instead of regular milk to make Vegan Avacado Milkshake.

This fruit is full of nutrients. Avacado benefits include lower blood pressure, healthy heart,  better skin, protection against cancer, treats arthritis, treats constipation, guards against birth defects, improves nutrient intake and helps to reduce weight. These are some of the most important benefits that make it a good reason to eat this fruit on regular basis in some form.

Choose ripe Avacado by pressing it gently. If it is hard, it means that the Avacado is unripe. If its too soft, then it means Avacado is overripe. If its soft, yet little firm,  then it means Avacado is ready.

Lets go ahead to learn how to prepare this delicious milkshake.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) Ripe Avacado - 1

(2) Milk - Half litre

(3) 6 tablespoon of Sugar or as per sweetness required

Cuisine : World
Course : Beverages & Drinks

Preperation time: 5-10 minutes.

Serves : 2 persons

METHOD :

(1) Slice and cut open the Avacado widthwise. 

Pull apart the two pieces of Avacado in opposite directions and remove the seed inside. 

Avacado cut into two pieces and the big brown seed pulled out

With the help of a spoon, scoop out the Avacado butter in a bowl and then chop them into small pieces.

Scoop out the pulp / flesh of the fruit with the help of a spoon

Skin of the fruit remaining and the flesh scooped out

Discard this remaining skin of the fruit

Collect the flesh of Avacado in a bowl

(2) Set together all the ingredients required for the preparation of Avacado Milkshake as shown in the image.

(3) Add the chopped Avacado pieces, sugar and Milk in a blender and blend until a smooth puree is formed.

Put the Avacado fruit flesh into a blending jar

Add sugar

Add little milk

Blend the Avacado flesh, sugar and little milk for a minute

Add remaining milk. Add a total of half litre of milk and blend for another 1 minute

Creamy and smooth Avacado Milkshake is ready!!

Creamy and smooth Avacado milkshake ready 

(4) Pour in tall serving glasses and serve the milkshake immediately.

Note : Consume the milkshake immediately. As time passes it would start to become dark due to oxidation.

Aloo Beans Sabji / French Beans Potatoes dry vegetable

This is a very simple dry sabji made stir frying Potatoes, French Beans and basic Indian dry spices. It tastes awesome even being so simple. Adding Potatoes to any vegetable makes it even more delicious, so I have paired beans with Potatoes. As this sabji is quick to prepare, it can be one for those who are busy moms, working women and bachelors.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) 750 gms of French beans (Washed and cut into 1 cm sized pieces)

(2) 4 tablespoon of Vegetable / Cooking oil, preferably Mustard oil

(3) Half teaspoon of Mustard seeds

(4) Half teaspoon of Cumin seeds / Jeera

(5) 1/4 teaspoon of Turmeric powder

(6) 1 teaspoon of Red Chilli powder

(7) 1 teaspoon of Coriander powder

(8) 3/4 teaspoon of Garam Masala powder

(9) Half teaspoon of Cumin powder

(10) Salt to taste

(11) Water for cooking

Cuisine : North Indian

Serves : 4 persons

Time taken : 15 mins to prepare and 15 minutes to cook = 30 minutes.

PREPARATION :

Chop three medium sized Potatoes into bite sized pieces.

Cut the ends of all the beans from both sides and cut the beans into 1 cm sized pieces.

Set all the above ingredients together.

METHOD :

(1) Heat 4 tablespoon of vegetable / cooking / Mustard oil in a kadhai / wok. 

Add half teaspoon of Mustard seeds to the warm oil and allow them to splutter. 

At the same time, add half teaspoon of Cumin seeds / Jeera and allow them to sizzle.

(2) Now, add chopped beans and potatoes and one glass of water. Mix well.

(3) Add Salt and basic Indian dry spices like Turmeric powder, Red chilli powder, Garam masala powder and Coriander / Dhania powder. You may add Cumin / Jeera powder too. As I did not have it, I did not add it. Adding whole Cumin seeds during the first step did the work for me. 

Mix well.

(4) Cover it with the lid and let it cook on a medium gas flame till they become soft and tender. Keep stirring in between so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the kadhai / wok.

(5) Open the lid and mix the sabji well and serve it in a serving bowl.

(6) Serve this French beans Aloo ki sabji as a side vegetable dish along with Chapatis / Rotis / Phulkas or as an accompaniment with Dal Rice.