Sitaphal-Curd Smoothie with Paneer
Custard apple from the Deccan and central Indian plateau, blended with hung curd, milk and a little fresh paneer — creamy, naturally sweet, and higher in protein than it tastes.
- Region
- Madhya Pradesh (also widely grown in Maharashtra)
- Status
- Adaptation — a seasonal fruit smoothie with paneer for body
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Prep 10 min (deseeding)
- Serves
- 1 (about 330 ml)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Good for
- Autumn breakfast side or snack (October–December season)
- Tags
- Good source (High with whey or milk powder) · No added sugar · Soy-free · Whey optional · Gluten-free
- Allergens
- Milk
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 305 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Headline values are per serving, as written.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Without whey | 305 | 14 g | 32 g | 12 g | 7 g | 5 g | 25 g | 4.5 g |
| With 15 g whey | 365 | 26 g | 33 g | 13 g | 8 g | 5 g | 26 g | 7.0 g |
Good source without whey; High protein with optional whey (about 26 g) or with 15 g skimmed milk powder (about 19.5 g; see Boost). Sitaphal values from IFCT (custard apple); sugar content varies with ripeness. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 100 g sitaphal (custard apple) pulp, deseeded (from 1 large fruit)
- 100 g hung curd · 100 ml chilled toned milk · 20 g fresh paneer · optional: 15 g unflavoured whey
- Pinch of cardamom · 2–3 ice cubes
Method
- Scoop the pulp from the fruit. Remove every seed by pressing the segments through your fingers or a coarse sieve — the seeds must never be blended, as they are toxic when crushed.
- Blend the pulp with hung curd, milk, paneer, cardamom and whey (if using) until silky, about 45 seconds.
- Add ice and blend briefly. Serve at once; custard apple darkens on standing.
Protein optimisation
- Hung curd supplies 6 g, paneer 4 g, milk 3 g, fruit 1.5 g.
- Boost: add 15 g whey (+12 g protein, +60 kcal), or 15 g skimmed milk powder (+5 g protein, +55 kcal, +8 g lactose), or increase paneer to 40 g (+4 g protein, +50 kcal, +4 g fat).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: sitaphal basundi-style — blend with 150 ml reduced milk and serve as a dessert drink (higher in calories).
- Substitution: ripe guava (strained) or papaya when sitaphal is out of season.
- Storage: drink within 1 hour; freeze deseeded pulp for up to 2 months.
- Food safety: discard all seeds; never grind them.
- Meal prep: deseed and freeze pulp in 100 g portions during the season.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com