Hetal Vasavada a contestant on Season 6 of MasterChef and is the founder of the blog, Milk & Cardamom. Her recipes have been featured in Huffington Post, TASTE and The Times of India. One day, I received a mail from her Publicist "Andrea Burnett" asking me to write a review about Hetal's book "Milk & Cardamom". They sent me a fresh copy of the book "Milk & Cardamom". The book is so amazing and I'm so happy to share few words about her book and also I tried one of the recipes from her book which is Shrikhand Parfait. It turned out so appealing and yummy. First let me talk about her book and then I will go into the recipe.

Table of Contents

Hetal Vasavada's "Milk and Cardamom"

A classic Western and Indian fusion is enjoyed by all. Journey through these exquisite spices and flavours as you flip the pages of this engaging and interesting cookbook. From breads and jams to mouthwatering custards, each and every page holds a new and eagerly awaiting recipe. Convenient notes and tips can be found throughout the book. The author shares her experience of each one of these recipes which gives us a bit more idea and background information about this dish. The vibrant pictures are posted throughout this whimsical book.

Glimpse from her book:

Hetal’s Creams, Custards, and Puddings chapter includes a Shrikhand Parfait, Caramel Custard, and Seero(Semolina Pudding). These deserts are perfect for a dinner party and they look stunning. The next chapter, Small Bites, features Banana Coconut Burfi, Dulce de Leche Penda, and Kajukathl, just to name a few. These easy to eat bites range from caramel fudge filled with chocolate to small and yummy ladoos. Hetal’s Cookies and Bars section is a collection of western recipes that have a punch from Indian spices. This section contains her delicious Mango Lassi French Macarons, Jaggery puffed Rice Crispies, Bourbon Biscuits, and many more.

Cakes and Tarts, withholds Masala Doodh Tiramisu, Gulab Jamun Cake, and even Rose and Pistachio Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Delectable Banana Custard Brioche, Green Mango Marmalade, and Orange and Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls fall under the Breads and Jam category. And of course, this book would not be complete without Hetal’s Drinks chapter. Just glancing at the Sapota Milkshake, Watermelon and Basil Seed Sharbat, and the other drinks make me thirsty for these cool refreshing drinks. I'm planning to try some of her cake recipes and use flax seeds as Egg substitute.

This book has definitely opened the doors to a whole new realm of delicious desserts, drinks, and pastry. Growing up as an Indian living in America, at first we might dream of beautifully frosted cupcakes, but as time flies, we tend to miss our Indian sweets. This book, Milk and Cardamom, has been an amazing way to showcase a unique way to make a dish that not only has finesse and frosting, but also a traditional and homely flavour.

Shrikhand

We all know what is Shrikhand and how to make. Plain Shrikhand as well as Aamkhand or Amarkhand (Mango Shrikhand) are so popular in Maharashtrian cuisine. Now there are much more flavors available in Shrikhand. I once tasted Apple pistachio Shrikhand in one of my friend's party , it was so amazing. Shrikhand is basically is dessert made with hung curd and powdered sugar enhanced with cardamom and saffron. We can incorporate different flavors like mango, apple etc to the basic Shrikhand and make it much more interesting. Aamkhand is a popular accompaniment for Poori in Northern India, especially in Maharashtra.

Parfait

Parfait is a rich cold dessert with layers of Ice cream/ whipped cream, fruit etc served in tall glass. This Parfait originated from French cuisine. Yogurt based parfaits are favorite dessert for kids. A Perfect easy grab-to-go breakfast, quick snack or after dinner treat!

Shrikhand Parfait

Fusion of our authentic Shrikhand and plating Shrikhand as parfait is the beauty of this recipes. First Shrikhand has to be prepared and then we are going to plate the shrikhand along with biscuit crumbs, topped with chopped fruits and finally topped with whipped cream and nuts!

Recipe Card for :

Method with Step by Step Pictures

PROCEDURE TO MAKE SHRIKHAND

Place a strainder over a bowl. Cover the strainer with 3 layers of Cheesecloth. Pour the Yogurt into the cheesecloth. Pull up all the corners of the cheesecloth and twist it tight. Place a plate and a heavy can or jar on top of the cheese cloth. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

The next day, add the saffron to the warm milk and let it bloom for 5 mins.

Remove the yogurt from the cheesecloth and place it into a medium bowl. Add the powdered sugar

Add bloomed saffron with milk and cardamom

Give a good mix till everything is incorporated well with the thick curd. Place a plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the yogurt and refrigirate for 4 hours

PREPARING BISCUITS

When the Shrikhand is resting in Refrigerator, toast the pistachios in a skillet over medium flame for 3-5 mins or until fragrant. Chop the Pistachios and keep it aside
Add the biscuits in a blender and grind it to coarse crumbs. I used a zipper for this process. I put the biscuits in a zipper cover and seal it and then used a rolling pin to crumble the biscuits. Set this crumbled biscuit aside

PARFAIT PLATING PROCESS

After the Shrikhand has rested, whisk the shrikhand for 2 mins so its nice and fluffy. Spoon the Shrikhand into a piping bag and snip off the tip of the bag so there is a 1" opening. Set aside