Blooming gold

Yogurt has a primary role in many delights of Indian cooking , taking center stage in an array of preparations ranging from both sweet to savoury . Its goodness heroes unabashedly in Indian dishes like raita , dahi vada , a well made glass of lassi , a bowlful of hot kadhi , delectable dips , doi maach and in many other formats which would be worth a journal .

Simply put , good quality yogurt seldom takes a back seat on an Indian table. This goodness is so much pure bliss that while conceptualizing a classic dessert version , the cooks of western India catapulted on just that . Doused with an addition of saffron , cardamom , rose essence and nuts , a bowl of shrikhand has its own degree of indulgence and is therefore much revered for its reputation as 'the' most creamy, nutty and flavorful dessert from western India. As in Bengal , no function is complete without a pot of mishti doi - in western India , shrikhand dominates the happiness quotient and meal endings.

Coming to my version , this is extra special simply because as it adds some element of drama and surprise to the table and elevates it from being ' just a bowl of yogurt & nuts' . Let me tell you how ! Usually the addition of saffron to any food recipe is guided by the principal of a presoak to impart maximum flavor and color. I however choose and suggest you to do it a little differently . In this recipe , dry grind the saffron along with the sugar in a mortal and pestle . This step breaks the saffron into multiple small fragments which spring back to a beautiful gold specked bloom , when combined with the curd and is rested .

Once you have tried making this at home , you will agree that a bowl of home made shrikhand is nothing when compared to a store bought or packaged version . Also , if making a dessert can be as easy and delectable as this , why not give it a try ?

Let the blooming bowl of gold raise every eyebrow on your table :)

Watch our reel on our Instagram handle to catch the details !

Things you will need :

• 500 gms of good quality Greek yogurt

• 3 tbsp. sugar

• 1 tsp of good quality saffron strands

• 1 tsp rose essence

• 02 - o3 pods of cardamom

• 25 grams finely chopped cashewnut

• Almond slivers and rose petals , for dress up ( optional )

Steps to follow

• In a mortal , dry grind the sugar , cardamom pods and the saffron strands until finely granulated .

• Combine this in a bowl along with the greek yogurt , rose essence and the chopped nuts .Set them in individual bowls and garnish it with chopped almonds / rose petals

• Keep it in the fridge for 2 -3 hrs.

• Serve chilled , once the saffron has bloomed .