Sikkimese Sikarni
Veg
Thick sweetened yogurt dessert — full-fat yogurt hung in muslin cloth for several hours to drain all whey, then mixed with powdered sugar, ground cardamom, crushed saffron soaked in warm milk, and chopped pistachios. The result is a dense, creamy, intensely flavoured cold dessert with the richness of cream cheese and the tang of yogurt. The Sikkimese sikarni follows the Nepali preparation style; it appears at every Dashain celebration as the sweet that marks the festival's most auspicious day. Served in small earthen or brass bowls, chilled; the saffron and cardamom perfume is released as the cold dessert warms slightly in the mouth.
Cuisines
Sikkimese
Best for
Dessert
Snacks
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | thick yogurt |
| 2 tablespoons | sugar |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 1 tablespoon | chopped almonds |
| 1 tablespoon | chopped pistachios |
| 1 tablespoon | chopped cashews |
| 1 tablespoon | raisins |
| 1 pinch | saffron strands |
| 1 tablespoon | warm milk |
Instructions
- 1 Soak the saffron strands in warm milk and set aside.
- 2 In a bowl, whisk the thick yogurt until smooth.
- 3 Add sugar and cardamom powder to the yogurt and mix well.
- 4 Stir in the saffron milk mixture into the yogurt.
- 5 Add the chopped almonds, pistachios, cashews, and raisins to the yogurt mixture.
- 6 Mix everything thoroughly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Tips
Ensure the yogurt is thick and well-drained to achieve the right consistency.