Shikran Poli | How to make Sweet Banana Milk with Roti

Shikran Poli - A to Z Maharashtrian Sweets

We are on S on our Journey through the cuisines, where I am taking a tour on A to Z Maharashtrian Sweets. Today's dish is a simple combination, that seems to be the childhood favorite dish of many Maharashtrians. Yet this is something you will not find listed in the restaurants or well known to others. I guess every cuisine has some dishes that are only known and common in the households rather than being cooked or served in the hotels.

Though I had another choice of making Sanjachi Poli / Sanjuri Poli / Sanjori Poli / Sheerachi Poli as it is known by different names, it is a poli made with soji halwa. The halwa is the same, just you will end up stuffing the poli with the sooji halwa. This particular sweet is quite popular in other states as well. Anyway, I wasn't prepared to make a sooji halwa on the day I was making these dishes.

When I came across this Shikran Poli, I knew this is what I was going to make. It's a simple sweet dish made with milk, sugar, and ripe banana pieces added along with Masala Doodh. The tradition demanded I eat with roti, I did, however, I liked the chilled sweet as such.

It is also referred as Maharashtrian Kelichi Shikran / Sweet Banana Milk with Roti.

There is not much of a recipe, so let me quote Priya as she wrote on her post on Shikran. she says one wouldn't find it on any restaurant menu, nor would it be part of any religious or celebratory meal. But shikran is made regularly in Maharashtrian homes everywhere.

It is made with bananas, milk, and sugar. That's it. Traditionally it is supposed to be just this. Some elevate the taste by add Doodh masala, which I added as well.

So I simply took a bowl of hot milk, mixed it with sugar, allowed it to cool down. Then mashed few banana pieces, then added rest of the slices. Sprinkled dudha-cha-masala on top. (Dudha-cha-masala is made of powdered almonds, pistas, cardamom and a bit of saffron combined. It is added to make masala milk)

As I said the chilled banana milk tasted awesome!