Ingredients:

1 liter / 1¾ pints whole milk
100-150 ml / 3½ fl oz-5 fl oz yoghurt, depending on how sour the yoghurt is, beaten
45 g / 1½ oz caster sugar
good pinch saffron, powdered in a pestle and mortar with 1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp green cardamom seeds, ground

Other flavoring ideas:
1 tbsp rosewater, or to taste
1 tsp vanilla essence, or to taste
40 g / 1½ oz pistachio nuts, shells removed, pounded to a rough purée in a pestle and mortar (add an extra 1 tbsp sugar to the cheese and add 1 tbsp milk)
good-quality chocolate powder, to taste
3 tbsp desiccated coconut, or to taste

To garnish:
edible silver leaf (available from some Asian food specialists)
chopped pistachios
flaked almonds
saffron strands
flaked coconut
rose petals

Directions:

Slowly bring the milk to the boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Once the milk starts to rise in the pan, stir in the yoghurt. The milk will curdle, leaving curd-like cheese floating in murky water. If it does not split, add some more yoghurt and leave for 20 seconds over the heat.

Line a sieve with muslin. Drain the mixture into the lined sieve and discard the water. Run fresh tap water over the cheese to remove any sourness from the yoghurt. Twist the muslin around the cheese to make a tight ball and place it under a weight (I fill the n with water and place it on top). Leave to drain for 20 minutes.

Place the cheese in a blender with the sugar and pulse three times to make a slightly grainy paste. Spoon the mixture into a cold non-stick frying pan and place over a low to medium heat, stirring continuously for about 3-5 minutes. The mixture should leave the base of the pan and have the texture of soft dough. It will dry more as it cools. If in doubt, take a small bit and roll into a small ball. It shouldn't crack and should hold its shape without being hard.

Add the saffron and the ground cardamom seeds (or any of the other flavourings) and roll into small walnut-sized balls. Garnish with silver leaf, chopped pistachios, flaked almonds, saffron strands, flaked coconut or rose petals, to your liking.

Chill until ready to eat.