News for those who thought only women were writing here. There are men other than me who are enthusiastic enough about food to write on this blog. And this one is a real man too (real as against virtual - he is a good "offline" friend of mine), although he has a very "interesting" virtual alter ego.

Shrikhand
(Aniruddha Gupta)

For many non-Maharshtrians, the only experience with Shrikhand is courtesy Aarey, the Haringhata of Maharashtra govt. Not a pleasing one. So many of us have the misconception that Shrikhand is a very heavy, greasy and cloyingly sweet milk product. Couldn't be further from the truth. The proof of Shrikhand is in eating, and I have had some Shrikhand made by Ani - it was fabulous. Everything in the right proportions. And here's his recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb Farmer's cheese
2/3 lb Mango Pulp
1 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
sugar to taste
Ghee

Method:
If you can't get farmer's cheese, use cottage cheese and drain out all the liquid. Blend the cheese, mango pulp, cardamom and sugar until the consostency is smooth. If you find it too thick, you can add a small amount of milk and blend again. Chill for 15-20 mins. Pour a few teaspoons of melted ghee and serve.

Quite easy, and very delicious. I can vouchsafe for that.