Mango Shrikhand

May is my month! I was born in May not too many years ago, and where I was born in India, this is a hot, Summer month. There, May is also the month of mangoes. If I was in India now, I would be eating a mango with every meal and some in between. I am making May the month of mangoes, with many if not all of my posts dedicated to the "King of Fruits." This was also the first batch of the mango season which I found ripe and sweet enough in Seattle, so the first dish I made was Mango Shrikhand.

Shrikhand ("shree-khund") is yogurt drained of all its liquid, then sweetened and spiced with any flavors you like. It is not so much an Indian dessert as it is regional, and very popular in my home state of Gujarat. Yogurt itself is widely eaten all over India, especially in Summer because of its cooling properties.

I loved shrikhand so much as a kid that I would eat it plain, even with no fruit, just cardamom. My school was right next door to a big creamery -- the largest producer of packaged shrikhand in India (it was like going to school next to Breyers). Once each year the school took us on a field trip, a tour of the shrikhand manufacturing and packaging plant; boy! how I waited for that trip!

Usually the shrikhand we ate at home was not packaged, we made it ourselves as we also made our own yogurt. Here in Seattle though, it is harder to get the milk to curdle with our relatively cool, damp climate. We still make yogurt at home, but often turn to the best we can find locally. In Seattle we are fortunate to have many alternatives!

Greek Gods is one locally manufactured yogurt that has been perfect for shrikhand. They are available all over the U.S. -- try their Store Locator. Greek Gods yogurt is a strained yogurt, so it cuts my shrikhand-making work in half. It is so fresh and high quality that it is the closest thing to the home-made shrikhand I grew up eating!

If you can't find Greek Gods, for one alternative you can use regular yogurt, with a little more work. You will need to tie it up and hang it in a cheese cloth overnight, to drain the water. Kefir cheese and any other plain, Mediterranean style, strained yogurt will work the best and you may be able to avoid the draining step. Strained yogurts are also manufactured with a higher pectin content, so they will require less sugar than a regular yogurt you strain at home.

Depending on how fresh the yogurt is and other factors, its tartness will vary. Sugar levels vary widely, and this is one reason it is hard to give precise measurements in recipes for traditional foods. You have to trust your tongue, taste as you go, and learn by doing.

Shrikhand is traditionally eaten with poori or roti, but once you taste it, you'll eat it all by itself! Below is my recipe for Mango Shrikhand ...

I used:
2 cups Greek Gods plain yogurt
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tspn ground cardamom (I've seen people over-do this lately and it kills me! Don't use too much cardamom.)
2-3 tbspn crushed nuts
1 ripe and diced Ataulfo mango (Mango tip for Seattleites: Ballard Town & Country has had a few amazing batches, but you've got to pick them properly! Ataulfo are currently in season and widely available ... please leave some for me ;)

My method:
1. Take the yogurt in a medium bowl and hand-beat with a whisk, till it is nice and smooth. It takes about 3 minutes.
2. Mix in the sugar next. Taste it! If it tastes acidic or "too yogurty," you need more sugar! 1/2 cup is what I needed to turn this yogurt into Shrikhand, you might need more or less.
3. Add the cardamom and mix.
4. Cover and refrigerate. It will solidify slightly, too.
5. Right before serving, top with nuts and mangoes.

One Bread, Two Ways

One of the best things about Seattle neighborhoods are their local bakeries. The Essential Baking Company was one of the first and is still one of the best bakeries I've tried around here. There are a few reasons I love Essential: fresh, local, organic ingredients, their variety, and how very *few* ingredients their breads have, with nothing unnecessary added -- I want my everyday breads sturdy and simple.

I was so happy to find their pugliese at the Ballard Market one recent day. Pugliese is a traditional Italian wheat loaf with a porous, chewy interior and soft crust, dusted in flour. Out of just one loaf, I've made crostinis, sandwiches, and dessert toasts. Today I offer this One Bread, Two Ways.

WAY 1 :: Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Spinach Walnut Pesto

It's like having Summer back!

This one is easy. Grill veggies with your favorite seasonings, olive oil, salt, & pepper. I made a pesto by starting with my Basil Pesto recipe, then replacing basil with baby spinach, and replacing pine nuts with walnuts. I then layered the pesto, the grilled veggies, mozzarella, and grilled the sandwich itself for a delicious lunch!


Here are some more photos of making the sandwich

WAY 2 :: Caramelized Cardamom Banana Toast

Yum, what a brunch!

This took bit of creativity and speed, and below I will share my detailed recipe. I always get a bit impatient working with bubbling sugar, but I also love a quick dish!

The combination came from my fond memories of eating bananas, Indian style, when growing up. They had ghee, sugar, and cardamom, and you ate them with a warm roti :)


I used:

• two slices Pugliese
• 1 sliced banana
• 1 tbspn butter
• two tspns dark brown sugar
• couple of pinches ground cardamom
• a sprinkle of chopped, toasted hazelnuts

My method:

1. Heat butter in a (non-stick preferred) pan, to medium heat.
2. Add sugar as soon as butter melts.
3. As soon as sugar melts, add a pinch of cardamom, and mix.
4. Put down the two slices of bread, and move them around a bit to coat.
5. As soon at the sugar sticks and the bread slices crisp a bit, flip them.
6. Let the other side crisp for another minute, and place it on the serving dish.
7. Leave your pan on the stove -- you should have some sugar remaining, stuck in the pan.
8. Throw the banana slices in there, add another pinch of cardamom, and toss for a minute or two until they loosen *slightly* -- do not overcook them! The bananas will brown slightly in the remaining sugar.
9. Place the bananas on the toast, sprinkle with hazelnuts, and eat right away!

You'll have to work quickly, from as soon as the sugar melts till you're finished. I recommend keeping all the ingredients handy!

If you are in Seattle and you have a chance, do pay a visit to one of the Essential Bakery Cafes as they have an excellent menu, coffee, and atmosphere "in the tradition of the old European coffeehouses and bakeries." My personal favorite is on Madison. The Essential Baking Company also sells their breads and other goods at the Madison Market Co-op, Ballard Market, and in many cafes around town. Check out their site!