Shrikhand

A friend asked for this recipe - so here goes.

1 container Sour Cream OR Yogurt if you want a low-fat variety
Powdered sugar ( confectioners sugar)
Cardamom (5-6 pods)
Nutmeg (1/8 tsp
Saffron (few strands)
Pistachios (sliced)
Almonds (sliced)
Cheesecloth

Tie up the sour cream in cheese cloth and let it hang to drip at least 6 hours. You will have to let it drip overnight if you are using yogurt.
Remove from cheesecloth and measure by volume. Add equal amount by volume of sugar.
This really depends on how sweet you want it and how tart the cream is. I prefer the shrikhand not to be cloyingly sweet. Sometimes it needs about a 1/4 cup of sugar more to each cup of cream.
Beat this mixture well so there are no lumps. Using a whisk is best. Do a taste test for sweetness.

Add powdered cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and the nuts. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve chilled. You can garnish with sliced nuts when you serve.

Variations:

Instead of the saffron and nuts you can add diced mango for 'amrakhand'. Do not add mango pulp- it does not give the same results.

Enjoy