Aashmini Bhetwal (Kathmandu-based Food Blogger)
Sikarni : More than just a desert.
There is an old saying; Dessert to a meal is what a dress is to a woman. We all know, how important a dress is to a woman, the way how a brand's new dress rejuvenates her entire mood, making her the happiest person alive. Well, this has so much of correspondence to the little luscious dessert that is served after a heavy delicious meal. It’s amazing how a bit of sweetness always brings out the best jubilant aura in us. As for the confection, it is often to be believed to be the concluding yet the main portion of any feast. And to lead it on, we presume that there is no betterway to bring people together than with desserts. In Nepal, we have a variety of desserts. Nepalese have the best taste in terms of sweets and sugary fare. There is a list of traditional sweets and makings of desserts that can make anyone go mouth-watery. The list includes almost all types of Indian and Nepali sweets that includes, Jeri (also known as Jalebi), Barfi, Malai Peda, Dudh Peda, Laddu, Anarsa, Paneer Peda, Kaju Peda, Jilfi and a lot more. While Sikarni is one of the most heavenly desserts anyone has ever come across. And to rule a thousand hearts, Sikarni. Sikarni is authentically based on yogurt. It has a sweet taste that gives flavors of different jiucy fruits, dry fruits and ground spices that include pepper. It also includes cinnamon, cardamom, etc. These help to enhance the taste of this dish.
The ingredients used to prepare this traditional dessert are
- 1 kg of yogurt∙ ½ cup of sugar.
- ¼ tablespoon of cinnamon powder.
- 1 tablespoon of Almonds(diced), Walnuts and other dry fruits.
- 1 pinch of saffron Fruits (chopped).
The utensils used are
- Grinder
- A cloth
- Big bowl
- Spoon
The fruits that can be used includes chopped apples, oranges, mangoes, grapes and even pomegranates while the dry fruits include minced coconut, almond, pistachios, etc.
Procedure
First of all, the yogurt is hung overnight in a muslin or cheese cloth liner. The following day, the yogurt is placed in a bowl and ingredients like cinnamon powder, saffron and icing sugar in a tablespoon of milk, is blended in the bowl containing yogurt. Then other additives such as different types of fruits (apple, orange, pomegranate, etc.) and dry fruits (almond, pistachios, cashew nuts, walnuts) are added. The mixture is well blended. Later it is stocked in a refrigerator for about an hour so that it is chilled. After the mixture is taken out of the refrigerator, the dessert is garnished with dry fruits again.
To serve the confection, a laddel is used on a desert plate crowned with syrup of different extracts of your desire. And yet again you can top it with fruits of your choice. This procedure leads your food to this classic and rich desert. Until then, always remember deserts create the biggest smile.
