Shrikhand is a classic Indian dessert made using hung curd and powdered sugar and is served with puri. A popular dessert in western Indian states of maharashtra and Gujarat, you can see this is served in the thali meals be it festive meals, wedding feasts or in restaurants. This is a delicious assortment of silky smooth curd, a hint of flavoring from cardamom, aromatic saffron and a crunch of dry fruits.
This is one of the easiest desserts you can make even if you’re a beginner at cooking. So let’s get into the process and see how to make it. And I’ve come across this similar delicious variation by my dearest friend and blogger Arpita @gastronomicbong Checkout her blog for more such delicious food and mesmerizing photography.
What is Shrikhand?
A classic, traditional and authentic Indian dessert made using hung curd (Yogurt) and powdered sugar.
A popular dessert in western Indian states of maharashtra and Gujarat, you can see this is served in the thali meals be it festive meals, wedding feasts or in restaurants.
Ingredients
To make Shrikhand, you require just 3 ingredients. Fresh plain yogurt (curd)/Greek yogurt, powdered sugar or any sweetener and any flavoring of your choice. Classic and simple shrikhand tastes divine too.
Process
To make Shrikhand, we need to make hung yogurt by placing a muslin cloth over a colander and adding curd/yogurt and letting it loose all of its water and turns thick and creamy, which is usually referred as “CHAKKA”.
Once the hung yogurt/Chakka is ready, we can add the sweetener and flavorings of our choice, mix it well and serve chilled.
What all Variations you can make ??
You can make endless variations of this divine dessert by tweaking out the flavoring of your choice. As I made the classic KESAR SHRIKHAND and sweetened it with Palm jaggery instead of Powdered sugar.
Mango Shrikhand is also popular as Amrakhand and also one of the popular desserts in Maharashtrian cuisine. Recommender dessert for all the mango lovers. Or make any fruit based shrikhand by using the seasonal fruits like Chikoo, Strawberry etc. Either puree the fruits and add in chakka or add chopped fruits to the chakka.
KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND WITH PALM JAGGERY
Equipment
- Muslin cloth/ Cheesecloth
- Colander
Ingredients
- 20 strands Saffron
- 1 tbsp Milk
- 3 cups Yogurt
- 1 cup Palm jaggery grated
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- Nuts slivered, optional
Instructions
Make Chakka/ hung yogurt
- Layout a cheese cloth on a colander/strainer and add the yogurt.
- Now bring the sides together and slowly press to remove the whey as much possible.
- Then keep it in the strainer with a bowl underneath and place some weight on it and keep it in the fridge for atleast 2-3 hours.
Making the Shrikhand
- In a small bowl add tbsp of milk and add saffron and let it infuse until our hung yogurt gets ready.
- Now add in grated palm jaggery, soaked saffron, cardamom powder to the hung yogurt and give it a good mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Serve chilled topped with nuts of your choice or plain as is. Dig in and enjoy
