Shrikhand (Indian flavored yogurt)

Shrikhand is an Indian dessert that is made with strained yogurt, cardamom powder, saffron and sugar. It is thick, creamy and very simple to make. You can serve it with nuts, or puri like I did for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Growing up Shrikhand was one of my favorite Indian sweet treats. I wasn’t a fan of many as I found them too sweet but this had my heart. My grandfather would buy large tubs of it from this shop and I could eat half a tub in one sitting. Once he passed, my mum used to buy it for me from various shops but I never liked it again. I found the flavor too artificial with essence or too sweet, not the right consistency or look. I am proudly say I have recreated my favourite Shrikhand recipe.

This recipe is so simple and needs very few ingredients. But you cannot skip the ingredients if you want the exact look, texture and flavor of the Shrikhand. It is usually flavored with cardamom powder, saffron and some sugar. I stuck to the original version but you can make chocolate Shrikhand, fruit Shrikhand or any flavor you like. This one is the OG and the best in my opinion.

What do you need to make Shrikhand?

Shrikhand is basically a flavored yogurt that is thick and creamy. Therefor you need yogurt. I have used homemade yogurt, you can find the recipe here but you can use store bought yogurt. It must be full fat yogurt or you can use greek yogurt as well. The yogurt needs to be strained overnight or for 12 hours to remove the whey (aka liquid) as we only want the creamy yogurt without the excess liquid. This is what gives you a thick and rich Shrikhand. If you skip this step, your Shrikhand will be tasty but runny.

Apart from yogurt we need cardamom powder, saffron strands that are bloomed in milk or water, icing sugar and a pinch of salt. Depending on the brand of saffron you use, the flavor will vary. I have used this brand and they are very good. You need icing sugar as it dissolves easily and there are no grains of sugar in the yogurt.

How to make and serve the Shrikhand?

We start by straining our yogurt for 12 hours. Once the yogurt is strained out we add cardamom powder, salt, icing sugar and saffron strands that have been heated in milk until the milk is a deep yellow color. Whisk everything together until combined and smooth. I don’t like using a large bulky whisk for this as it is a delicate dessert, I use my trusty teeny tiny salad dressing whisk, check out the link for it here. If your icing sugar has lumps, sieve it into the yogurt or else it will be lumpy. Now taste, if it is not sweet enough, add more sugar – I like it less sweet so you can add more deepening on your taste. Top it with nuts, I’ve used cashews here and store in the fridge. It is served chill with hot puri’s – this is optional.

How to store the Shrikhand?

Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container for up to a week. Make sure to use a dry clean spoon when portioning it out to avoid the Shrikhand going bad. Once you take it out of the fridge it might have some liquid that is separated from the yogurt, give the Shrikhand a good stir before eating. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this as it will get grainy once thawed.

The trick to making this recipe is making sure you use full fat yogurt, freshly ground cardamom powder, good quality saffron strands and chilling it before serving.

Now that we have covered how to make Shrikhand, you can have a look at the recipe video here but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi Ninjas!