CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special | Page 59

RECIPES - LOVE BITES

Srikhand

by Alka Keswani

Almost 17 years ago, Deepak and I were invited to his Maharashtrian friend’s
wedding. I was astonished to see my better half relishing the food, especially
the ‘Puri Shrikhand’, because he is an unfussy and uninterested eater. For the
first time, I saw him really enjoy his food and was happy that I had finally
found something he would savor. I asked my Maharashtrian neighbour for
the recipe of ‘Shrikhand’, purchased all the ingredients and headed straight
to Deepak’s home. His younger brother and I worked hard all day, tasting
and adjusting the flavors, till the ‘Shrikhand’ tasted like the one we enjoyed the day before. When
Deepak returned, he was surprised but sportingly tasted my effort. No, he didn’t jump with joy or
flatter me with praises, but that little twinkle in his eyes and a simple ‘’Thank you’’ said it all!

Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cup thick curd
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4-6 strands saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp milk
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped pistachios, for garnish
Method:
1. Take a muslin cloth and pour the curd over it.
2. Gather the ends of cloth to make a potli.
3. Hang it in a way that the whey from curd drains out.
4. Hang it in a place that is not too hot or else the curd will sour.
5. After two to three hours, strain/sieve the curd through the
muslin cloth to get a smooth creamy curd.
6. Add remaining ingredients and whip the mixture well.
7. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
8. Garnish with chopped pistachios. Goes well with Puris.

Gulab Jamun

Photo, text and recipe
by Shirisha Sharma

A few days before my engagement, I proudly told my husband that
I would this sweet dish for him. I only knew how to cook Kheer and
Gulab Jamun from the ready-made packs available in the market back
then, but I could not figure when to cook it for him as my house was
full of relatives, preparing for my engagement, and we were expecting
many guests from my in-law’s family too. I only knew to cook this in
small quantities and finally managed to cook some for my fiancé. After
the engagement ceremony ended and while everyone was getting ready
to eat lunch, I asked him to taste the Gulab Jamun. He said that they
tasted wonderful! Since then, I make this sweet dish whenever we want to rewind our sweet memories.

Ingredients:
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
Method