Saffron Flavored Milk Patties with Cardamom

This delicate dessert is the pride of sweetshops in Bengal. They are usually made fresh and consumed on the same day. In this recipe, I have used two of the most fragrant spices- cardamom and saffron.

SERVES 4

8 pistachio nuts

10 whole almonds

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 teaspoon warm milk

4 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

2 tablespoons ground cardamom powder

Soak the pistachio and almonds in 1 cup hot water for ten minutes. Drain, peel, and coarsely chop them. Lightly crush the saffron and add to the warm milk. Add the pistachio-almond mixture to it.

In a large saucepan, bring the milk to boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then add lemon juice and stir until the milk curdles. Drain through a very fine mesh or a muslin cloth. Discard the whey and transfer the curds to a food processor and process until finely minced.

In a large skillet, bring the cream and sugar to boil over medium heat. Mix in the curds, dry milk, and the pistachio-almond mixture. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and is well combined—about 8 minutes. Let it cool at room temperature. Divide it into small 1-inch balls—about 35. Then, with your thumb, press down in the center of each ball to flatten it to make a slight depression. Fill it with cardamom powder.

Chill thoroughly and serve it cold.