Looking to start your day off with a kick? Or prefer to save your sweets until after dinner? If so, this month’s recipe, Sikarni, will work for any time of the day! This Nepali dessert has a tart and sweet taste – combining the flavours of this month’s feature spice, cardamom, with cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and pistachio! Be sure to start prepping this recipe well in advance, to allow time for draining the yogurt/sour cream mixture and chilling the finished product.

Don’t like the look of this recipe? Get creative! We’d love to see what you come up with instead! While the program is now full, we have shared this month’s recipe below and invite you to follow along and join the discussions on the Facebook Spice Club event page!

FUN FACT: Cardamom has been produced since ancient times – used by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks and Romans!

READING LIST: If you are looking for some more inspiration to keep adding cardamom to your recipes, check out these cookbooks from our collection.

Sikarni*

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1 tsp saffron (or tumeric)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, lukewarm
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup unsalted, thinly sliced pistachio nuts
  • Whole, shelled pistachios for garnish 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a large bowl, mix yogurt and sour cream together.
  2. Pour the yogurt mixture into a large colander with a cheesecloth liner.
  3. Allow to drain for about 12 hours.
  4. Transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl.
  5. Dissolve saffron in lukewarm cream.
  6. Add sugar, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, dissolved saffron (or tumeric), and pistachio nuts to the yogurt mixture; fold in thoroughly.
  7. Chill overnight in refrigerator.
  8. To serve, scoop a cup of chilled dessert onto a serving plate, topped with a generous amount of unsalted, shelled, whole pistachio nuts.

*Recipe from Global Road Warrior™️ by World Trade Press. Access this online database for free with a Huron County Library card to get information about holidays, festivals, culture, travel essentials, and other beneficial travel knowledge.