Shrikhand recipe - This is the traditional sweet from Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is also known as ‘Matho’. It is made from hung or strained curd/yogurt and sugar. Chopped nuts are also added.
Here I have made small quantity enough for 2 people (me and hubby), but you can make double or triple the recipe, as per your need.
Here I have flavored it with saffron and green cardamom powder. So it is also called kesar elaichi shrikhand.
Shrikhand has a thick, creamy, smooth consistency. It is rich and sweet. Per person, you will need a very small bowlful (small katori) of quantity.
For making shrikhand recipe, we need to strain all the liquid aka whey from the yogurt. It will end with thick yogurt which is known as hung curd or chakka dahi. This straining process will take at least 4-5 hours. If you are in a rush, you can use greek yogurt instead. I have shared both recipes below.
When I first published this recipe, it was made with greek yogurt only. That time, a container of greek yogurt was sitting in my fridge and I had no idea how I can finish it up quickly. Then some of my facebook fans have suggested making shrikhand using greek yogurt.
That time Diwali was around the corner and I made this yummy sweet within 15 minutes only. Thanks to my dear readers who gave me this brilliant idea.
Now after this long, some of the readers have asked me how to make it using plain yogurt. So here I am updating this post and sharing the recipe.
Recently I made mango-flavored too aka amrakhand (mango shrikhand)
Check out other Indian sweet recipes
Basundi // Rice kheer // Gulab jamun // Sheera
How to make shrikhand recipe using fresh curd?
1) First, let’s prepare for hung curd. Take a deep bowl and a strainer. Select the bowl or mug which is deep, so the strainer is not touching the collected liquid in the bowl.
2) Put the muslin cloth or man’s handkerchief or clean, pure cotton cloth over the strainer.
3) Add plain yogurt into the prepared strainer.
4) Gather the cloth edges and if you squeeze it lightly, you will notice the whey/liquid is dripping.
5) Tie the edges of the cloth.
6) We have just prepared it and you will see that the liquid is already collecting in the bowl. Now keep this whole thing into the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. You can keep it overnight too.
7) After 5 hours, all the liquid/whey has been drained out. You will be left with very thick yogurt aka hung curd or chakka.
8) You can use this collected whey for kneading the chapati dough or add in the dal/curry/soup.
9) Now crush the saffron in mortar and pestle. Also, warm up the milk in the microwave for a few seconds.
10) Add crushed saffron into the warm milk and stir. Since the milk was warm, saffron will infuse its color immediately.
11) Take hung curd into a bowl.
12) Add powdered sugar. We are grinding the sugar into powder form and then using in the recipe. So it will dissolve quickly.
13) Also add saffron milk.
14) Stir it well using spoon till everything is incorporated well. Make sure there are no lumps. Do not whisk or stir vigorously otherwise you will end up with runny and thin consistency of shrikhand. We want nice and thick.
15) Now add cardamom powder, chopped nuts.
16) Stir well to combine.
Shrikhand is ready to serve. If not serving right away then keep it chilled into the refrigerator. After some time, saffron will infuse its flavor more and more. So I would suggest to make it ahead of time and keep refrigerated till the time of serving.
If making in larger quantity then it may be little tough or hard to combine thick yogurt and sugar. If so, follow this my grandmom’s method - Take strainer or sieve, take about ⅓ to ½ cup of thick, strained yogurt along with a couple of tablespoons of sugar. Using a spoon, keep mixing, mashing and pass this mixture through the strainer or sieve. Repeat the same with rest of the yogurt and sugar. This way everything will get combined well without ruining the consistency of shrikhand.
How to make shrikhand using greek yogurt?
1) First, dissolve the crushed saffron into the warm milk.
2) Saffron will infuse its flavor and color right away. Keep it aside.
3) Take greek yogurt in a bowl.
4) Add powdered sugar.
5) Stir well till sugar and yogurt is combined well. Do not stir it vigorously otherwise the consistency will get runny and not thick.
6) Now add saffron milk, cardamom powder and chopped nuts.
7) Mix well. Chill it into the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
8) Remove it to an individual serving bowl, garnish with chopped nuts and serve.
This makes 2 servings, but you can double or triple the recipe, you will get the same results.
Serving suggestions: Shrikhand is usually served as a sweet dish along with feast meal thali (thali may include potato sabji, puri, dal, rice, farsaan, pickle, papad). So a piece of puri is dipped into the shrikhand and eaten. Shrikhand-poori is the best combo. Though, it can be served alone as a dessert after a meal.
Shrikhand Recipe (Traditional way + Shrikhand with Greek Yogurt)
Ingredients
To make using fresh curd/dahi/yogurt:
- 2 cups Plain yogurt (NOT sour, use fresh)
- ¼ cup Sugar powdered into blender or grinder
- few strands Saffron crushed into mortar and pestle
- 1 teaspoon Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Green cardamom seeds powder
- 4-5 Cashew nuts chopped finely
- 4-5 Almonds chopped finely
- 4-5 Pistachios chopped finely, optional
To make using greek yogurt
- ¾ cup Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup Sugar powdered into blender or grinder
- few strands Saffron crushed into mortar and pestle
- 1 teaspoon Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Green cardamom seeds powder
- 4-5 Cashew nuts chopped finely
- 4-5 Almonds chopped finely
- 4-5 Pistachios chopped finely, optional
Instructions
Making shrikhand recipe:
- First let’s prepare for hung curd.
- Take a deep bowl and a strainer. Select the bowl or mug which is deep, so the strainer is not touching the collected liquid in the bowl.
- Put the muslin cloth or man’s handkerchief or clean, pure cotton cloth over the strainer.
- Add plain yogurt into the prepared strainer.
- Gather the cloth edges and if you squeeze it lightly, tie the edges of the cloth.
- Now keep this whole thing into the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. You can keep it overnight too.
- After 5 hours, all the liquid/whey has been drained out. You will be left with very thick yogurt aka hung curd or chakka.
- Now crush the saffron in mortar and pestle.
- Also, warm up the milk in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Add crushed saffron into the warm milk and stir.
- Take hung curd into a bowl.
- Add powdered sugar and saffron milk.
- Stir it well using spoon till everything is incorporated well. Make sure there are no lumps. Do not whisk or stir vigorously otherwise you will end up with runny and thin consistency.
- Now add cardamom powder, chopped nuts. Stir well to combine.
- it is ready. Keep in the fridge
Making shrikhand using greek yogurt
- First, dissolve the crushed saffron into the warm milk.
- Take greek yogurt in a bowl. Add powdered sugar.
- Stir well till sugar and yogurt is combined well. Do not stir it vigorously
- Now add saffron milk, cardamom powder and chopped nuts.
- Mix well. Chill it into the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
Notes
- a rough Nutrition information for 1 serving (made from greek yogurt) is 112 kcal.
- *below Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving (made using fresh yogurt).
loved this recipe. Shrikhand came out very well.
thank you. love all your recipes. Even the sukhdi recipe is perfect.
Glad that you liked shrikhand and sukhdi recipe.
Happy cooking!!
When you say 'powdered sugar' can I use the powdered sugar that I can buy in the store or is it plain granulated sugar that is just ground by hand in a mortar and pestle?
You can use the store bought powdered sugar
If you want to use granulated sugar then powder it (grind it) into the grinder or blender.
You can use any does not matter. We need the sugar in powder form so it dissolves and mix properly into the yogurt without stirring it too much
Thank you for your recipe using Greek yoghurt.
glad that you liked.
Another easy-to-make, absolutely delicious recipe. I decided to go the Greek yogurt route and the result was outstanding. Everyone who sampled it said it was outright extraordinary. Thank you so much for making home cooking such a fun experience. Your recipes are very well thought-through; and even when they don't visually look exactly like your fabulous photographs (mostly because I missed the mark), the taste is always spot on! Your biggest fan, Neeta
Very happy to read the comment like this.
Thank you, Neeta for trying the recipes and writing back.
Shrikhand is Maharashtra sweet dish.
Yes you are right