Shrikhand Recipe / How To Make Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a thick, creamy, rich, and delicious dessert. The wonder of this dessert is its simplicity. Making Shrikhand is extremely easy and requires only a few ingredients. The star ingredient of this dish is hung yogurt which is flavored with saffron, cardamom and sweetened with sugar.

Jump to:

• About Shrikhand
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Directions
• Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Storing and Freezing
• Helpful Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Indian Desserts
• Recipe Card

About Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a popular dessert of Gujarat and Maharashtra states of India. It is popular to serve with Puri in wedding ceremonies. And it is a handy dessert to serve when special guests come over for lunch or dinner.

Shrikhand is one of those desserts which are not only delicious but also have high nutritional values. I am not saying that this dessert is healthy to have often, but because it is made with thick yogurt, Shrikhand is high in protein and calcium. And if you don’t prefer your dessert too sweet, add less sugar and make this dessert a guilt-free treat.

My family loves yogurt, and so we are a massive fan of yogurt-based sweets and desserts. My father loves Shrikhand than anything else, and so when I was with my parents, we had this dessert than usual. He often bought it from his favorite sweet shop without any occasion, and my mom also used to make it at home regularly. And just like my father, my husband too loves Shrikhand. But in Canada, it is hard to find good quality Shrikhand; mostly, it is not fresh and too sour. Also, store-bought Shrikhand is loaded with sugar, but it is easy to control all those flaws while making Shrikhand at home.

• The Consistency: We need to remove the whey part from the yogurt as much as possible to make Shrikhand. And that makes its consistency very thick, almost like a cream cheese yet smooth.
• The Flavors: Shrikhand is sweet with a slight tanginess of the yogurt. It has warm and sweet flavors of cardamom and saffron. But we can play around with the flavors by adding some other ingredients like fruits and nuts. Or to keep it plain and white, exclude adding saffron. However, I will recommend not to skip cardamom; it is an essential ingredient.
• Ease of Making: Once we have hung yogurt, it is one of the easiest desserts to make. It comes together within 10 minutes. Even making hung yogurt is very straightforward and does not require much work.
• Equipment: There is no need for any particular electrical equipment. I have used a whisk to break the lumps from the hung yogurt and then switched to a spatula to combine everything well. However, you can use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to mix everything if you prefer. 

Ingredients

1. Yogurt: I have used homemade yogurt (with whole milk) to make this Shrikhand; you can find the recipe of homemade yogurt here Homemade Yogurt / How To Make Curd or Dahi at Home. However, we can also use store-bought curd to make this dessert. Shrikhand should be sweet with a slight tanginess and flavored with other spices but should not be sour. So, either one you use, make sure to use fresh yogurt that is not sour. Do not use low-fat yogurt because it will have more of a whey part. So you will end up with less hung yogurt, and the Shrikhand will not be creamy and rich. 
2. Sugar: I have used powdered sugar for easy mixing. But we can use granulated sugar or organic cane sugar. Do not use the sugar with big crystals as it will not mix into yogurt easily. Also, add sugar as you need it. So start with ¾ cup of sugar and add more as you require.
3. Cardamom and Saffron: They both provide warm and sweet flavors to Shrikhand. Also, saffron offers a lovely yellow hue to this dessert. But to keep the Shrikhand white, do not add saffron.

Step by Step Directions

Making Hung Yogurt

• Line a strainer or a colander with a clean muslin cloth. Then place the strainer or colander over an empty and large container or bowl to collect the whey. 
• If your container or bowl is small, the strainer will come into contact with the collected whey. So empty the bowl from time to time.
• The best way is to use a deep bowl or container; I have used a stand mixer bowl.
• Add yogurt into a strainer or colander lined with a muslin cloth.

• Collect all the edges of the cloth, bring them together and cover the yogurt.
• Either make a knot or tight the edges with an elastic band.

• Then place some heavy object on it.
• Now place the whole thing in the fridge for at least 4 hours or until you get the thick yogurt. 
• We can also keep it overnight and use the thick yogurt the next day. If you are keeping it overnight, do not place the heavy object on it.

• Once the yogurt is drained, remove it from the cloth and collect it into a mixing bowl.
• If you are not using hung yogurt right away, keep it in the air-tight container and place it in the fridge.

Making Shrikhand

• Take a tablespoon of warm milk in a small bowl and add saffron strands. Mix well and set aside.

• In a mixing bowl, beat the hung yogurt with the wired whisk. Whisk it until it is smooth.
• The consistency of the yogurt will be almost like cream cheese. So if it is hard for you to whisk yogurt manually, use either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer attached with a paddle or whisk attachment.

• Once the yogurt is smooth, add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron milk.

• Combine everything well with a spoon or a spatula until sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes smooth.

• Take the Shrikhand into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped nuts. 
• I have decorated it with chopped pistachio. 
• Chill the Shrikhand in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before serving. Chilling will make the Shrikhand firmer, and the flavors will meld in well.

Variations

Make Rajbhog Shrikhand

Rajbhog Shrikhand is full of nuts, like almonds, cashews, and pistachios. So, convert this recipe into Rajbhog Shrikhand by adding ½ cup of finely chopped nuts. You can also make a coarse powder of nuts and add it to Shrikhand.

For Mango Shrikhand

Add mango pulp into this Shrikhand recipe for a seasonal, cool, delicious mango Shrikhand. Add pulp of one or two ripe mangoes into hung yogurt and mix it into yogurt with other ingredients. Mango pulp is sweet, so adjust the quantity of sugar accordingly.

Make Fruit Shrikhand

We can make fruit Shrikhand by adding chopped fruits into Shrikhand. Fruits like grapes, mango, strawberries, or pomegranate will go well with Shrikhand. However, mix the chopped fruits into Shrikhand a few minutes before serving.

Add Rose Flavor

Rose flavor goes perfectly well with Shrikhand. Add ¼ teaspoon of rose extract to hung yogurt with other ingredients and mix well. If you don’t have rose extract, add a tablespoon of rose water, and you can also garnish it with edible rose petals.

Serving Suggestions

• The most popular way of serving Shrikhand is with Puri; the combination of Puri and Shrikhand is a delightful lunch or dinner.
• We can also serve it as a post-meal dessert.
• If you are looking for a healthier frosting option for your Indian-flavored cake or cupcake, use Shrikhand instead of cream cheese or buttercream frosting. 

Storing and Freezing

• Shrikhand stays well in the fridge for up to a week, kept in the air-tight container. It also freezes well for up to a month. Place the Shrikhand into a freezer-safe and air-tight container, and keep it in the freezer. Take it out from the freezer at least 30 minutes before serving.

Helpful Tips

• Always use full-fat or whole milk to make yogurt for Shrikhand. Shrikhand should be creamy and thick, but making it with low-fat yogurt means there will be runny Shrikhand.
• Do not use sour yogurt to make Shrikhand. We will need to add a lot of sugar to make it sweet with sour yogurt, and very tart Shrikhand will be unpleasant.
• This recipe is easily scalable. You can increase or decrease the serving sizes by using more or less hung yogurt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Shrikhand Ahead of Time?

Yes! Shrikhand stays well in the fridge for up to a week. And we can also store it in the freezer for up to a month. So, after making Shrikhand place it in the air-tight (and freezer-safe if freezing) container and place it in the fridge or freezer.

Do I Have To Add Saffron?

You can absolutely omit the saffron from the recipe and make white Shrikhand. The only difference will be the color of Shrikhand, and it will still be delicious and pleasant.

What If My Yogurt Is Sour?

To make Shrikhand, we need to use fresh, not sour yogurt. But if you already have planned to make Shrikhand and your yogurt turned out a little bit tart, add ¼ cups of whipped cream. Adding cream will balance the tanginess of the curd and make it creamy and rich. You may also need to add extra sugar for the right sweetness. However, avoid using too sour yogurt.

Can I Use Greek Yogurt Instead of Hung Yogurt?

Absolutely! Using Greek Yogurt is the easiest way to make Shrikhand. Take Greek yogurt instead of hung yogurt in the mixing bowl and continue with the recipe steps.

So I hope you will like this recipe and if you make it, please leave your comment. You can also easily rate the recipe in the recipe card below.

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