No Bake Thandai Cheesecake
No Bake Thandai Cheesecake made with paneer, hung yogurt, whipping cream, and Thandai masala. Just one spoon of Thandai masala in cheesecake transports you to heaven, it is full of flavors of aromatic spices, nuts with a creamy texture. This is a perfect dessert for Holi celebration. It is a no bake dessert that is so creamy, smooth, and delicious even without cream cheese.
Cheesecake is generally a sweet dessert made up of one or more layers. The main layer consists of soft cottage cheese and cream cheese combined with sugar. The bottom layer is most often made from crushed cookies, graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake. The taste of cheesecake is unique. As one of the main ingredients, it tastes very similar to cream cheese or hung yogurt. However, it also has a sweet flavor with some tangy notes. A cheesecake base adds to its taste, depending on what it is made of.
Thandai masala is an Indian drink mixture prepared with almonds, cashews, fennel seeds, rose petals, pepper, poppy seeds, cardamom, and saffron. Nut-spice mixtures are often mixed with milk and sugar to make drinks. It is native to India and is often associated with Maha Shivaratri and Holi festivals. So this Thandai Cheesecake is a combination of classic no bake cheesecake with thandai flavor.
Ingredients
For Base
• 2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
• ½ cup Melted Ghee/Butter
• ¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
For Filling
• 4 cup Whole Milk Yogurt
• 2 cup Shredded Paneer
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ cup Sugar
• 2 tbsp Thandai Masala
• 2 tsp Agar Agar or Gelatin Powder
• ½ Milk
• 5-6 Threads of saffron
For Topping (opt.)
• 1 cup Fresh Whipped Cream/Malai
• ½ cup Powder Sugar
• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1-2 tsp slivered Almond & Pistachios
Method
For Base
1. Mix cracker crumbs, ghee or butter, and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl.
2. Pour the mixture into the 10-inch spring foam baking pan.
3. Make a tight flat surface by pressing it with a small bowl or cup.
4. Place it in the freezer to set or until the filling is ready.
For Filling
1. Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth or muslin cloth and hang it or press it for 3-4 hours to extract the whey.
2. Soak the saffron threads in the milk.
3. Blend the hung yogurt, shredded paneer, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and heavy whipping cream together until smooth.
4. After heating the saffron milk, add the agar-agar powder and mix well.
5. Add Thandai masala to the blended mixture and blend again.
6. Pour the mixture over the prepared base and freeze it for about 4-5 hours or overnight.
7. The Thandai cheesecake is ready now.
Topping
1. Mix cream/malai, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Use a wire whisk and make it light and fluffy.
2. Fill the whipped cream into a piping bag and top the cheesecake.
3. Sprinkle some slivered pistachios, almonds, and Thandai masala on top and serve.
Tips
• You can substitute digestive biscuits for graham crackers.
• Instead of whole milk yogurt, you can use Greek yogurt.
• The topping is optional, you can simply scatter over some slivered almonds and pistachios.
• Before serving, let the cheesecake sit outside for at least 30 minutes.
- For Base
- •2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- •½ cup Melted Ghee/Butter
- •¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
- For Filling
- •4 cup Whole Milk Yogurt
- •2 cup Shredded Paneer
- •1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- •½ cup Sugar
- •2 tbsp Thandai Masala
- •2 tsp Agar Agar or Gelatin Powder
- •½ Milk
- •5-6 Threads of saffron
- For Topping (opt.)
- •1 cup Fresh Whipped Cream/Malai
- •½ cup Powder Sugar
- •½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- •1-2 tsp slivered Almond & Pistachios
- For Base
- Mix cracker crumbs, ghee or butter, and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl.
- Pour the mixture into the 10-inch spring foam baking pan.
- Make a tight flat surface by pressing it with a small bowl or cup.
- Place it in the freezer to set or until the filling is ready.
- For Filling
- Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth or muslin cloth and hang it or press it for 3-4 hours to extract the whey.
- Soak the saffron threads in the milk.
- Blend the hung yogurt, shredded paneer, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and heavy whipping cream together until smooth.
- After heating the saffron milk, add the agar-agar powder and mix well.
- Add Thandai masala to the blended mixture and blend again.
- Pour the mixture over the prepared base and freeze it for about 4-5 hours or overnight.
- The Thandai cheesecake is ready now.
- Topping
- Mix cream/malai, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Use a wire whisk and make it light and fluffy.
- Fill the whipped cream into a piping bag and top the cheesecake.
- Sprinkle some slivered pistachios, almonds, and Thandai masala on top and serve.
Instead of whole milk yogurt, you can use Greek yogurt.
The topping is optional, you can simply scatter over some slivered almonds and pistachios.
Before serving, let the cheesecake sit outside for at least 30 minutes.
