Indian Saffron-Cardamom Yogurt Dessert (Shrikhand)

About This Recipe

Shrikhand is a Gujarati and Maharashtrian dessert made by hanging yogurt in cloth for several hours to strain out the whey, leaving a thick, creamy base (chakka) that's then sweetened and flavored with saffron and cardamom. The straining step is what separates shrikhand from a simple sweetened yogurt — without it, the dessert would be loose and watery instead of dense and spoonable. Saffron threads are traditionally warmed slightly, either in a dry pan or with a spoonful of warm milk, to release their color and aroma before being folded into the strained yogurt along with ground cardamom and powdered sugar. The mixture should be whisked until completely smooth, since any lumps of undissolved sugar or unblended yogurt stand out in the finished texture. Chilled thoroughly before serving and often topped with chopped pistachios or almonds, shrikhand is typically eaten with puri (fried bread) as part of a Gujarati thali, though it holds up perfectly well as a dessert on its own, its tang from the yogurt balancing its sweetness.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgplain full-fat yogurt
• 0.5 tspsaffron threads
• 2 tbspwarm milk
• 0.75 cuppowdered sugar
• 0.5 tspground cardamom
• 2 tbsppistachios, chopped
• 1 tbspalmonds, slivered

Instructions

1. 1

   Strain the yogurt

   Line a sieve with a clean muslin cloth or cheesecloth, add the yogurt, and hang or let sit over a bowl in the fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight, until thick and most of the whey has drained.

2. 2

   Bloom the saffron

   Warm the milk slightly and steep saffron threads in it for 15 minutes until deeply golden and fragrant.

3. 3

   Sweeten the yogurt

   Whisk the strained yogurt (chakka) with powdered sugar until completely smooth and no lumps remain.

4. 4

   Add saffron and cardamom

   Fold in the saffron milk and ground cardamom, mixing until evenly colored and fragrant.

5. 5

   Chill and serve

   Chill for at least 1 hour. Serve garnished with chopped pistachios and slivered almonds.

Variations

• •

  Fold in pureed mango for aamrakhand, a popular seasonal variation.

• •

  Use Greek yogurt as a shortcut with less straining time needed.

• •

  Add a few strands of saffron directly into the final mix, unbloomed, for visual flecks of color.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; the texture stays best within the first 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions