Jihva Wedding Feast - Maharashtrian KeLwaN

Any Indian wedding is a complex affair. There are many customs and rituals. I think I am somewhat familiar with Maharashtrian, Konkani and Gujarati customs. A Maharashtrian wedding consists of many rituals like KeLwaN, HaLad, Seemantpoojan, Gaurihar, Antarpaat, Saptapadi, Lajjahome, Mangalashtaka, Mangalsutra, Naav ghene/ukhane, Gruhapravesh. I am sure there are many more but I could think of only these, at this moment.

Let's talk about Maharashtrian pre-wedding ceremony. It is called "KeLwan". The bride (or groom's) family get together and pamper her (or him) by making the favorite food and showering gifts.

For my keLwaN, my family pampered me with lots of delicacies. One of them was my uncle's signature dish - Strawberries and cream. Frankly, strawberry is not my favorite fruit but somehow, I like this combo.

My uncle's recipe is simple. You need fresh strawberries - preferably from Mahabaleshwar, heavy cream and sugar whipped together and everything layered and chilled. I was looking for a lighter version with the similar result. I came across this recipe, which we loved.

Strawberries & Cream

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup fresh, juicy ripe strawberries, sliced removing top leaves

Whirl in a blender

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)

Garnish

1 strawberry, sliced whole as shown

Method

1. Whirl cheese, yogurt and sugar till they are blended together.

2. Layer cream , strawberries in a container starting and topping with cream.

3. Garnish with a strawberry.

Note -

1. Instead of sugar you can use a sweetener of your choice like agave nectar etc.

Recipe Inspired by -

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=581694