Holi is here and so is the day to gorge all things thandai and bhang. And, to you and your menu for the colourful day into the Holi mode, we have two hatke recipes that will surely add 'wow' element to your menu. So, what are you waiting for, let’s get cooking!
1. Thandai Shrikhand
Ingredients (Serves: 8):
Hung Curd: 3 cups
Powdered Sugar, sifted: 1/2 cup
Milk: 2 tbsp or more
Blanched Buchananialanzan seeds (Charoli / Chironjiseeds): 4 tsp
Saffron steeped in a little warm milk: 1/4th gm
Thandai Mix Powder/ paste: 6 tbsp or more as desired
For the Garnish:
Saffron strands: a pinch
Blanched and peeled Almonds, slivered or almond flakes: 20 gm
Blanched and peeled pistachio nuts, slivered: 20 gm
Rose petals (dried & edible): 2 tsp (Optional)
Method:
In a food processor, add hung curd and powdered sugar. Blend it for 35 seconds. Now add the preparedthandai spice mix powder. Blend it till smooth; ensure that it is lump free. Add milk to adjust consistency.Remove in a glass bowl, add blanched charoli seeds, saffron strands and mix well. Place the shrikhand in the refrigerator for two or more hours.
To serve:
Serve chilled garnished with slivered nuts, dried edible rose petals and saffron strands. To make homemade Thandai Mix Powder: Soak all the ingredients mentioned below in 3/4th cup of full-cream milk for Thandai mix paste and blend.
Almonds: 8
Cashew nuts: 8
Saffron: a few strands
Fennel seeds: ½ tbsp
Poppy seeds: ½ tbsp
Peppercorns, black: 8
Cinnamon powder: ½ tsp
Green Cardamom Powder: ½ tsp
Mixed Melon Seeds: ½ tbsp
Edible and Dried Rose petals: 6 tsp
2. Thandai Aur Saeb Ki Kheer
Ingredients (Serves: 8):
Apple (sweeter variety), peeled and grated: 1½ cup (to be peeled and grated before adding it)
Full-fat milk: 6 cups + 2 cups
Jaggery powder: ½ tbsp or more as desired
For the Thandai Spice Mix:
Almonds: 12
Cashew nuts: 12
Saffron: 1/4th gm
Fennel seeds: ½ tbsp
Poppy seeds: ½ tbsp
Peppercorns, black: 8
Cinnamon powder: 1/4th tsp
Green Cardamom Powder: 1 tsp
Mixed Melon Seeds: 1½ tbsp
Edible and Dried Rose petals: 4 tsp
For garnish:
Edible and dried rose petals: 4 tsp
Almonds, slivered: 2 tsp
Pistachio nuts, slivered: 1 tsp (optional)
Pepitas, lightly toasted: 2 tsp
Mixed Melon seeds: 4 tsp
Black peppercorns, lightly toasted and coarsely ground: ½ tsp
Thandai kheer | FPJ photo
Method:
Soak the ingredients mentioned for Thandai Spice Mix in milk 2 cups for three hour overnight. Prepare a smooth paste and set aside. In a non-stick heavy-bottomed pan add 1 cup of water, bring it to a boil add grated jaggery, mix well. Strain with a food grade muslin cloth. Set aside. In a heavy bottomed non-stick deep pan add 6 cups of milk and bring it to a boil.
Simmer. Keep stirring and let the milk reduce a little.Add the Thandai paste and simmer it for 5 minutes. Let the kheer cool completely. Add the jaggery syrup and apple puree. Mix well. Pour into earthenware pots and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled garnished with rose petals, slivered almonds, pepitas, mixed melon seeds and crushed peppercorn.
(Recipes by: Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji, Culinary Expert & Chef Consultant)
