Masala Doodh Mini Cheesecakes

Jump to recipe

 

Who remembers Masala Doodh when you were little? Masala doodh is essentially milk, which is boiled with almonds, pistachios, cardamom, nutmeg, sugar and saffron to create this really heavenly concoction, that really warms your soul and gives you that homey feeling, like a tight hug! My mom made this milk for us as an after dinner dessert, served cold, it was made when my brother and I were studying for our school exams, to give us energy and strength to go on studying into the wee hours of the night, it was served cold to guest who would visit us anytime of the day. It serves well hot or cold. All the nuts, spices and sugar are added to whole milk and the milk is boiled and simmered to assimilate all the flavors. This drink is truly an energy booster and I remember many a nights having this drink and feeling energized to continue studying into the night even though I was so tired from the day. Every household in India has their own version of this drink.

IMG 1384

 

I made a Masala Milk powder, by grinding all the ingredients, such as almonds, pistachios, cashews, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and I store it in a glass jar in a cool place for upto 3 months, to preserve maximum freshness from the nuts. Nuts tend to go rancid, so I would not recommend keeping it for more than 3 months. This masala milk powder is so versatile.

IMG 1376

 

MASALA DOODH:

Just add 2 tablespoons of the mixture into milk of your choice, can be plant based milk as well, bring it to a boil once, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Steep the mixture by covering it with a lid, for another 20 minutes, and you have delicious masala milk ready!

IMG 1378

My mom would actually make the Masala Doodh with shredded slivers of almonds and pistachios in it, she would chop each nut finely with her thumb and first finger, and a sharp knife. It was a meticulous process. Each nut shredded so beautifully, that when you have the masala doodh, you get those bits in your mouth with some coarse bits of cardamom too. It gives such great taste and texture to the simple Masala Doodh.

IMG 1409

I love making Mini Cheesecakes, cheesecake in itself is quite heavy to eat, and a little bit goes a long way. Mini Cheesecakes is a perfect way to indulge but yet in small portions, and savor the flavors in your mouth. Also minis are always perfect for get togethers, and in this pandemic, and these times, it is great to have these minis to celebrate the occasion of Diwali with a close group of friends, and end the night with the perfect mini Cheesecake desserts! Cheesecakes are seriously one of my favorite desserts, ofcourse apart from ice creams! I love the texture, sourness, creaminess of cheesecakes. It is like a blank canvas, and you can decorate it however you want, with whatever flavors you want, it will adapt really well to any unique flavors.

IMG 1386

WHAT PAN DID I USE FOR MINI CHEESECAKES?!

I used these mini cheesecake pans, available on Amazon, It is linked here. These mini cheesecake pans are super convenient. Ofcourse, you can use a cupcake pan as well with cupcake liners. But I love the clean look of these mini cheesecake pans and they look legit cute! I was quite happy with this pan and with how EASY THIS RECIPE IS, I know I will be making different variations of this cheesecake very often! Cause NOW I do not have to make a big cheesecake and eat it for days. I can make minis, that my kids enjoyed too, and LET’s FACE IT! They are just more fun to eat! GET YOUR PAN NOW so you can make these cuties!

IMG 1376

My recipe is eggless. The crust is made with digestive biscuits, sugar, melted butter and a bit of cardamom. The crust is baked for 10 minutes for it to set, and then the batter is added on top of it. It uses a bit of cornstarch and Greek yogurt to set the cheesecake, once it is baked in the oven. I use a bit less sugar, because that is the way I like it. I loved that these mini cheesecakes were not overtly sweet. The batter came together really very quickly. I added the Masala Milk Powder into the batter, and it gets a beautiful slight orange color from the pretty saffron. You can inhale the fragrance of the cardamom and nutmeg from the batter. The mini cheesecakes are baked just for 16-18 minutes to the max. Do not overbake else it will crack and the texture will not be right. Let them cool completely, and then let them get cold in the fridge.

IMG 1383

I topped them with a colorful rainbow whipped cream, signifying the wonderful Rangoli colors that are present in this time, with a touch of edible gold leaf to make it look extra festive! Diwali is all about color, lights, happiness, new beginnings, and these mini cheesecakes that actually look like pretty diyas, signify just that and so much more! These cheesecakes would be a hit at any small gathering and bring joy to your peoples! My family loved this so much, it got over pretty much in 2 days! They are small and poppable and adorable!

IMG 1397

I hope you get to make these cute cheesecakes, and that it brings joy to your home, as it did to mine. Stay safe, healthy and happy this Diwali! Wishing you and your families a wonderful Diwali and Saal Mubarak!

 

All my love,

Amisha

 

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Never Miss a recipe from the Jamlab