Bethica Das's healthy combination of low-fat yoghurt with the white flesh of the watermelon rind creates a smooth, whipped fruit-based shrikhand that's a must try during Ganesh Utsav.
Food blogger and cookbook writer Bethica believes in food experimentation and hence her recipes, you will notice, have an inspired detour away from a standard preparation.
Have a look at Bethica Das' recipes here.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Bethica Das
Watermelon Rind Shrikhand
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 2 cups yoghurt
- 2 cups chopped white flesh of the watermelon rind or kalingar
- 1 tsp ghee
- 2-3 tbsp powdered sugar or icing sugar or to taste
- ¼ tsp green elaichi or cardamom powder
- 1 tsp kewra water or pandanus flower extract
- Few strands kesar or saffron
- Few chopped pieces watermelon fruit, deseeded
- Chopped pistachios, to garnish
- Dry rose petals, to garnish
Method
- In a bowl, strain the yoghurt through a cheese cloth placed over a sieve.
Drain off the excess water.
Bring all the ends of the cloth together to make a potli(moneybag).
Tie the ends and place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
- Steam the watermelon rind flesh until soft.
Cool.
Transfer into a blender and blend into a smooth paste.
- Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the paste.
Simmer till all the moisture has evaporated.
Take off heat and keep aside to cool.
- In a bowl, combine the cooked watermelon rind paste and the hung yoghurt.
Add the sugar, cardamom powder,kewra water.
Whisk well until smooth.
Add the saffron strands and mix again.
Refrigerate for a few hours and keep refrigerated till time to serve.
- To serve, spoon the shrikhand into individual bowls and garnish with the chopped pistachios, chopped watermelon. dry rose petals.
Editor's Note: Vegans should substitute regular yoghurt with vegan yoghurt.
For a sugar-free dessert, cut back on the watermelon garnish and substitute sugar with stevia powder.
Kewra essence has a very strong flavour and may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Bethica Das is a Sharjah-based food blogger.