Kelyache Shikran / Banana Milk Dessert

                          

Kelyache Shikran is a healthy and delightful dessert from the Maharashtrian Cuisine. A no cook side-dish, Shikran is probably the most simplest and easiest dish one can think of . Using  just 2 main ingredients, ripe banana and milk, it serves as a healthy mid-day snack to toddlers or as a quick dessert to entertain unexpected guests. Traditionally, Kelyache Shikran is paired with hot chapatis and served as a part of main meal as its sweet taste complements very well with the savory dishes. It is a perfect treat on a summer afternoon when you are not in a mood of making elaborate meals or when you run out of vegetables. Shikran can be made in a jiffy and provides instant energy, hence it is a preferred fasting food as well.

                               

Some sweet memories :

Kelyache shikran is very close to my heart as I have many fond childhood memories associated with this humble dish. In fact, i am sure most of the Maharashtrians will have some or the other childhood association with this dish. There is a Balgeet (songs for children) also in Marathi -" Mamachya gavala jau ya" an all time favorite nursery rhyme , describing a vacation fantasy, which has reference of this dish in the stanza, Mamachi bayko Sugaran..roj roj poli shikran...Gulab Jamun khau ya, Mamachya gavala jau ya", which means when the kids in that song visit their maternal uncle's place during vacations, their aunt who is a good cook  (sugran)  will prepare delicious dishes like Shikran and Gulabjamun everyday for them. 

Kelyache shikran remains to be my favourite dish even today and i make it every alternate day during Summer season as a side dish with chapati. As it is deliciously sweet, it compliments well with the savory and spicy curries in the meal. It serves as a no-cook simple dessert that you can make in a jiffy and almost effortlessly. It is a satvik dish ( onion -garlic free) and hence serves as a great fasting food as well. Both Kids and adults love it alike. 

                        

What goes into Kelyache Shikran ? The ingredients:

Kelayache Shikran ,as i mentioned above requires just 2 main ingredients. milk and ripe bananas. A kind of fruit custard, Shikran can be sweetened with a sweetener of your choice or served as it is as bananas are sweet. Flavorings and toppings can be adjusted as per taste and liking. Let's have a look at the ingredients and their substitutions if any, one by one.

Ripe Banana: Use any sweet variety of ripe banana. I have used Robusta variety. The bananas should be ripe but not mushy. 

Milk: Traditionally dairy milk is used in making shikran. Milk is boiled, cooled down and then used. Plant based milk like almond milk can be used instead for a vegan version or if you have any dietary restrictions.

Sweetener: Shikran is traditionally sweetened with little sugar. But you may have it without any sweetener as bananas are sweet on their own or sweeten the shikran with jaggery powder or honey.

Green cardamom: Shikran is mildly flavored with crushed green cardamom.

An absolutely effortless recipe, you just have to chop the peeled bananas, add them to boiled and cooled milk, sweeten with sugar, honey or jaggery powder and flavor the shikran with cardamom powder. You no-cook, healthy and delicious Kelyache shikran is ready to serve. It is best to consume shikran immediately or withing an hour as bananas turn black and taste also changes if kept for a long time.

Variations and Serving suggestions:  

• Shikran can be sweetened with sugar, jaggery powder, or honey or simply kept plain without any sweetener.
• Sometimes dairy cream is also added to shikran to make it rich.
• Fruits like ripe mango can be used to make shikran as variation.
• Shikran can be topped with slivered nuts like almonds or pistachio and served as a delectable dessert.
• Saffron strands and raisins can also be used.
• Kelyache shikran is traditionally served with chapatis as a side dish with the main meal. However, you may serve it as a healthy mid-day snack or dessert to satisfy the sweet cravings at any time of the day.
• You may simply pulse the shikran in a blender to make it a banana milk shake.

                     

Dietary Tips:

• Vegetarian dessert
• Bachelor's Recipe / Easy 
• No-cook dish
• Healthy fruit custard
• Gluten-free
• Satvik / Jain recipe
• Kid friendly
• Helps in weight gain
• Instant energy source
• Fasting food.

Related Event:

"Cook in a Jiffy" was the theme for 286th week on Foodie Monday Blog Hop, a Facebook gourmet group, where a bunch of passionate food bloggers share their culinary skills every Monday depending upon a pre-determined theme. Sujata di proposed this theme as she was our hostess for the week.  She suggested that we share any dish that is easy to prepare , uses minimal spices and is ready within minutes. The dish also has to be our family favourite. Kelyache Shikran is my humble contribution towards the theme. Meanwhile, do check our Sujata di's space for some awesome Bengali sweets and healthy bakes. I have bookmarked her Banana Cake recipe using rice flour to try out next.

                                 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: Nil

Serves: 2

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1 cup milk ( boiled and cooled)
• 1 tablespoon sugar / jaggery powder/ honey (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Method:

1. Peel and thinly slice 2 bananas. Transfer them to a bowl and add a cup of boiled and cooled milk to it. 

                               

                               

2. Add sweetener of your choice if you wish to. Give a good stir.

                               

3. Lastly flavor the shikran with cardamom powder. 

                               

4. Our no cook, healthy and delicious Kelyache Shikran is ready to serve. Garnish it with some almond or pistachio slivers if serving as a dessert or mid day snack. Traditionally it is served plain as aside dish and paired with hot chapati as a part of meal. 

                              

Recipe Notes:

• Use sweet variety of ripe banana for best results.
• Traditionally sugar is added to shikran, but you may serve it plain or use jaggery powder or honey as a sweetener instead.
• Kelyache shikran can be topped with slivered nuts like almonds and pistachio, raisins and saffron strands and served as a delectable dessert.
• Kelyache shikran is best consumed immediately.
• Plant based milk like almond milk can be used instaed of dairy milk for a vegan version or for those on a dietary restriction.

Would love to hear from you !

I hope you would love trying out this healthy and delicious Kelyache Shikran. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with use in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

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See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then Stay safe and eat right !

 

Happy Cooking !

Happy Eating !

 

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

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