Cardamom + Saffron + Pistachio Cheesecake (GF)

My mother is probably the biggest Eliachi (cardamom) enthusiast I know and eats it with absolutely everything and even by itself. Growing up, I absolutely hated the smell and the taste of Eliachi. Then one day when I was ordering at a coffee shop in Philly, I ordered a Rose Cardamom Latte. It sounded like something new and fancy and definitely something I could put on my insta-story for the aesthetic. So I ordered it without realizing that the Eliachi I grew up despising was called cardamom in English. Trying the drink, it tasted very familiar-- like all my childhood memories bundled into a sweet flower. I recognized it to be Eliachi and with a quick Google search realized that Eliachi= cardamom. Oddly enough, I was in love with the taste. And now I too, incorporate it into everything.

Being fortunate to be home with my Mom on Mother's Day, I wanted to do something special for her. I decided to try baking cheesecake for the first time and wanted to incorporate some of her favorite flavors into it. My mom would pick Indian food over absolutely anything. Even after going out for dinner to eat the yummiest food, she will come home and resort the fridge to eat a few spoons of some homemade bhaji (cooked Indian Vegetable) before she sleeps.

So... I got the inspiration from Raody Recipes to create a Srikhand type cheesecake... and of course I had to healthify it a bit because that is my favorite thing to do. So, I used non-fat greek yogurt for the filling and Lakanto MonkFruit Sweetener instead of sugar.

The cheesecake was a complete hit in my household, and even my sister who rarely enjoys Indian food, was asking me when I am going to make this again. My mom's reaction when she came downstairs and saw the cheesecake was absolutely priceless, and it made the last minute 45 minute drive to Bed Bath and Beyond during a thunderstorm to buy a springform pan completely worth it(:

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the dEATS:

Servings:

8 slices, 260 cal/slice

Ingredients

Crust

• 1.5 cups blanched almond flour

• 4 tbsp melted butter

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

• 2 cups non-fat greek yogurt

• 1 cup sugar (I use Lakanto Monkfruit Sugar for 0 cal option)

• 1/2 cup honey or agave

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 2 tsp ground Eliachi/ Cardamom

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• A few saffron strands

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 eggs

The Magic:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F

2. Mix all the crust ingredients well in a bowl.

3. Press this combined mixture evenly onto the base of a greased 9 inch Springform pan to create crust.

4. Bake for 10 minutes and then place the pan into the freezer to cool the crust (should cool for at least 25 minutes while u prep ur filling)

5. Mix together all the filling ingredients in a bowl. You can use a hand mixer or a food processor, or blender. Just dont overblend because it will become too runny.

6. Pour the filling into the springform pan, on top of the crust

7. Bake for 35 minutes @ 350 deg F. Do not open the oven door during these 35 minutes, as the change in temperature can cause your cheesecake to crack.

8. After precisely 35 minutes, turn off the oven and keep the over door open for about 15 minutes to allow the cheesecake to slowly cool without a drastic temperature change.

10. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside for about 20 minutes to let it cool to room temperature.

11. Then, place in the fridge overnight to cool. The longer you let it sit in the fridge the better it will taste!!!!

12. In the morning, remove the cheesecake from the springform plan and garnish with pistachios, and other nuts/fruits you desire. (I tried making a Strawberry Rose for the first time...hopefully the next time will be better :P)

13..Slice and Enjoy(:

P.S. This only lasted in my fridge for about 2 days because it was so tasty that we could not get enough of it. It can stay good in your fridge for about 5-6 days... though I predict it will definitely get over sooner!!

P.P.S. It tasted much better the second day than it did the first because it had time to really settle!