Crispy Goli Bajje and no-guilt Sikarni recipes to satiate your monsoon cravings

Cookbook author Roopali Mohanti shares 2 monsoon recipes that can be enjoyed during the rainy season to satiate your spicy and sweet cravings.

Monsoon is the time to indulge in deep-fried crispy snacks that go wonderfully well with your evening tea. Goli Bajje, believed to have originated in Mangaluru, Karnataka, are crisp fried fritters which are made with flour, curd, spices and herbs. They are usually served with coconut chutney. Another recipe that would appeal to those with sweet tooth is Sikarni. The guilt-free dessert is made with yoghurt, fruits and dried nuts that not only caters to your sweet cravings but also keeps you full for long. (Also read: Diabetes desserts: 5 sugar-free dishes to satiate your sweet tooth)

Cookbook author Roopali Mohanti shares 2 monsoon recipes with HT Dogital that can be enjoyed during the rainy season to satiate your spicy and sweet cravings.

1. GOLI BAJJE (Serves 4)

• All-purpose flour: 80 gm

• Green chillies: 2 chopped

• Gram flour:40 gm

• Curry leaves:2 sprigs chopped

• Baking powder: ½ tbsp

• Water:75–80 ml

• Thick yoghurt: 50 ml

• Salt: ¾ tsp

• Fresh coconut: 3 tbsp diced

• Refined oil: to deep fry

• Ginger: 2 tsp chopped

Method

1. Sieve flour, gram flour and baking powder together.

2. Add yoghurt and whisk together.

3. Add fresh coconut, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Gradually add water and whisk to aerate batter.

4. Add salt. Check seasoning and let the batter rest at room temperature for an hour.

5. Heat oil in a wok/kadai for deep frying.

6. Shape batter into balls with your fingers, and drop into hot oil.

7. Deep fry 5–6 balls at a time until golden in colour. This will take 3–4 minutes.

8. Remove and drain excess oil on a paper towel.

9. Serve immediately with a coconut chutney of your choice

2. SIKARNI

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• Greek yoghurt: 350 ml

• Pistachios: ¼ cup shelled and sliced thick

• Cream: 100 ml

• Raspberries:6

• Honey: 1 tbsp

• Strawberries: 2–3 sliced

• Icing/Castor sugar: 3–3½ tbsp

• Saffron: 6 –8 strands soaked in warm milk

• Cinnamon powder: ½ tsp

• Rose petals: a few

• Black pepper powder: ¼ tsp

• Nutmeg powder: ¼ tsp

• Green cardamom powder: ½ tsp

Method

1. Mix yoghurt and cream together. Place a strainer over a bowl and layer it with a muslin cloth.

2. Transfer yoghurt–cream mix onto the muslin cloth and strain. Keep in a cool place for 3 hours and then refrigerate for 9 hours.

3. Take out from the refrigerator and transfer the thickened mixture to a bowl.

4. Whisk the mixture for 3–4 minutes with honey and sugar.

5. Add all the spices, soaked saffron and mix.

6. Add three-fourths of the quantity of pistachios, saving a few to top. Chill for 6–8 hours.

7. Scoop dollops of sikarni onto a plate, top with remaining pistachios and rose petals, berries and serve.

"Sikarni is a traditional spiced sweet yoghurt dessert in Nepal and Tibet. This dessert existed long before we were introduced to the cool and hip frozen yoghurt, queuing up at stores selling it with the tagline ‘100 percent sin, zero percent guilt’. Traditionally topped with pistachios, the addition of berries makes it interesting. If one can source the golden berries which are native to Nepal, that would be the ultimate addition. As always, we make do with what we have ... a ‘berry’ sweet compromise!" says Roopali Mohanti.