What is Shrikhand
Shrikhand is an easy dessert recipe from the Maharashtrian cuisine. It’s basically a smooth, creamy, sweetened and flavored thick yogurt. It is popularly served as a side dish or dessert on special occasions like Gudi Padwa and Ganesh Chaturthi with side of hot Puris (puffed Indian flatbread made with whole wheat flour).
Shrikhand Ingredients:
The main ingredients to make this basic Kesar Pista Shrikhand are Yogurt - Thickened strained yogurt (hung curd or also known as chakka) is main key ingredient to make Shrikhand. Use fresh homemade, whole milk, plain yogurt to make hung curd. If using store bought just make sure its not too sour. Or use Greek yogurt to fasten the process as you don’t have to strain it and can be used directly. Sweetener - This being a sweet/dessert recipe, next key ingredient is sugar. Use powdered sugar or confectioners sugar to sweeten Shrikhand as it easily blends with the yogurt. Sugar granules can take longer to dissolve and can interfere with the smooth texture. Simply pulse the sugar in a blender to get the powdered form. Flavor - For this basic Shrikhand recipe, I’ve used cardamom powder and kesar (saffron) as my flavoring agents. Pista added for garnishing also imparts its flavor and texture to this recipe. There is plenty of scope to play around with different flavors for making Shrikhand, few of them are : mango (amrakhand), strawberry, rosewater, chocolate flavored. You get the idea 🙂 So now lets see how to make it
How to make Shrikhand
It’s very easy to make this Shrikhand recipe. Basically make the hung curd and mix all ingredients to make this delicious dessert. Please see step by step below.
To make hung curd or chakka
Start with some fresh (not sour) homemade or store bought whole milk, plain yogurt. Add it to the clean cloth or muslin cloth and close it by tying the ends together. Squeeze it to drain off the whey as much as possible. Then place cloth with yogurt in a sieve with bowl below to catch excess whey. Place some weight (using my mortar pestle) on top to drain off the excess whey. Let it stay under weight for 4-5 hours or even overnight in the refrigerator. Open the cloth and the thickened yogurt (hung curd) also known as chakka in hindi is ready. Use greek Yogurt to fasten the process and skip the yogurt straining process.
To make kesar infused milk
In a bowl add warm milk and add kesar to it. Mix and allow it to stand for 10 mins. Soaked kesar (saffron) will give a nice yellow color the shrikhand. If you don’t have kesar feel free to skip this step.
To Make Kesar Pista Shrikhand
Transfer the hung curd (chakka) to a bowl and add the cardamom powder, powdered sugar, salt and saffron milk and mix until well combined. Transfer to the serving bowl and garnish with pistachios and sprinkle some more saffron on top (optional). Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Tips for making the Best Shrikhand
Use fresh yogurt and not the sour kind. Store bought works too but use homemade if possible as store bought usually tend to be sour. Greek yogurt can be used to fasten the process as you can skip the yogurt straining process. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. Little goes a long way. Make the shrikhand a day in advance, sprinkle some saffron threads on top, cover airtight and let it sit in refrigerator overnight. Before serving, mix it to get those beautiful orangish streaks and gorgeous color (see pic below). Top it with pistachios and serve chilled.
Shrikhand Serving Suggestions
Shrikhand Puri is a popular delicacy where this smooth creamy sweetened yogurt is paired with hot puffed up whole wheat flatbreads. It is an ultimate combination and is made on many festive occasions like Gudi Padwa and Ganesh Chaturthi. Or as part of a mini thali with Poori, Batata Bhaji, Shrikhand and lemon pickle. You can also serve this as a sweet dip with some flavored Crispy Chips or place it on the cheese board along with other dips for that fusion flavor.
More such Sweet Indian dessert recipes for you to try:
Rice Kheer Puran Poli Rava Sheera Pumpkin Halwa Sabudana Kheer
Hope you enjoy this Shrikhand as much as we do!! If you give this recipe a try, we did love to hear from you ❤️ Please let us know your rating ⭐️and feedback in the comments below. Thank you!
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Happy Cooking! Shweta
