Easy Mango Shrikhand

Making shrikhand itself is an easy breezy job for a food lover. But having this recipe in hand will make the job more easy and delectable. I tasted this mango shirkhand in my neighbor aunty's house and learned to make it from sour cream instead of curd. She is known for hosting many homely dinner parties and I help her sometimes too. I always wonder how she juggles many things at a time.  I like the way she uses all kinds of short-cuts, so that the hostess also gets some time to rest and look fresh and pretty:) Isn't her confidence amazing !
I have used real mangoes in this recipe, but aunty recommends using tinned alphonsa mangoes instead of pureeing the mangoes.

Note: This is not an authentic shrikhand recipe. But comes handy when we need to prepare a dessert without much effort.

Mango shrikhand using sour cream

Ingredients:
Sour cream - 1 cup (fat free or whole)
Cream cheese - 2 tbsp (optional)
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup + up to taste
cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Mango - 1 (or 1/2 cup puree)
Mango - 1/2 (chopped)

Method:
Sieve the powdered sugar to get rid off the lumps (this step is a must).
Using a fork, mix the sour cream and cream cheese separately, till they get a smooth texture.
Puree the mango. Chop another mango and take a handful for this recipe and enjoy the other half  yourself:)
Add mango puree, cardamom powder, chopped mango to the above  and mix well.
Keep refrigerated in an air tight container for almost 2 hours (or till it gets chill).
Garnish with chopped pistachios while serving.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as dessert.

Milagai bajji

Here is an entire article of all kinds of capsicum pakora I tried:)

Capsicum bajji / capsicum fries / mirchi pakora.

When it comes to milagai bajji, I tasted my very first (long back) when we visited Kuttallam along with my Tuticorin aachi and family. Thatha (grandpa) fondly bought us this spiciest bajji while all were hungry after taking bath in the waterfalls. At that time I could eat the fried batter in the outside leaving behind the capsicum, as I thought it would be spicy.Though everybody told me it won't be spicy, I didn't believe:) I started following this trick till I grew up until I found that this capsicum is nothing but a pepper with spicy smell only. Then it became my most favorite bajji. Another place I used to see this bajji was in the annual exhibition in our Tirunelveli Town. The mirichi pakora vendors would tie those garlands of non-spicy capsicums around their stall. The flavor of these bajjis and Delhi appalam would drag the crowd. Exhibitions were the only mass-entertainment there at that time ,other than cinema theaters:). The lights, circus, rides, exhibits, the shopping (YES) and the north Indian foods that were rare at that time for us would make the entire population of Tirunelveli and surrounding villages to long for that fair. When hubby took me to this fair , there he learned that I am not a fan of those challenging rides.....except my favorite merry go round / carousel:) On seeing my enthusiasm for carnivals, he started taking me to all the fairs around. Here also, the carnivals in USA shows us more entertainments and delicious foods like funnel cake, pizza. But the common thing I see in Tirunelveli exhibitions and USA carnivals is the happiness that catches up all the people of all ages, once they enter the fair grounds.  So whenever I want to add some more happiness in our weekends, I will make some foods with glad memories. No wonder these capsicum bajjis ranks high in our home:) Enjoy this mirchi pakora with your family and tell me how you like it:)

Jalapeno, my favorite... use this only if you can tolerate its  high spice level. This is not Indian bajji milagai.

I coat some tomato sauce inside jalapeno, after removing the seeds to make it less spicy.

Ingredients : 
Non spicy long peppers (Bajji milagai) - 10
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup
dosa batter - 1/4 cup
(or) rice flour - 2 tbsp
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
garlic - 2 pieces (finely ground)
ajwain (omam / bishop weed) - 1/4 tsp

oil - to deep fry (200 ml)

Method:

Rinse the peppers. Slit open and remove all the seeds. We can slice it in lengthwise into two or three pieces too. Apply some tomato sauce inside the jalapeno (if using jalapeno only) to reduce the heat of pepper.
While using bajji-milagai (non spicy peppers), there is no need to slice them. But simply slit and use it whole. ..(see pictures below)
For bell peppers, I slice them in rounds...(see pictures below)

Grind the garlic and ajwain to a fine paste with 1 tsp water. Mix all the above (except oil) along with 1/4 cup water to a thick batter. Add more water if needed, but keep the batter like thick idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will absorb more oil.

Heat oil in a wok. Before it gets smoky hot, reduce flame and keep in medium flame.

Dip the pepper slices in the batter and put it on the hot oil.  Do not clutter. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Milagai bajji / fritter is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with hot coffee or tea during rainy / winter season.
Tomato ketchup is a good side dish

Other forms of milagai bajji I tried:

Indian bajji milagai (Indian long pepper) ,given by my neighbor aunty Manjula. I used it to get the real taste once.

Bajji with green bell pepper (kudai milagai bajji).

Bell pepper and onion slices , before making bajji.

Note:
*It is always a good idea to make onion bajji or some other bajji along with capsicum bajji , for guests, as everyone can't taste the spiciest bajjis.
*Using Jalapeno in bajji is my favorite part only. For non spicy versions, go for bell peppers.
*The bajji milagai (peppers used for making bajji) are usually yellowish green in color. Longer than jalapeno and softer too. They won't have any spicy taste , but smells like green chilly. I have never seen them in USA and I don't know the exact English name for that pepper too. But google may help you to see how it looks:)

Enjoy my other bajjis also:)
Sweet bajji
Vazhaikkai (plantain) bajji
Potato bajji
Cauliflower bajji
Onion bajji
Kathirikkai bajji