Shrikhand, a refreshing & sweet Indian dessert. Creamy smooth yogurt is mixed with sugar and cardamom, and garnished with saffron and pistachios to make this luscious Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand.
Shrikhand is a classic Indian dessert made from strained yogurt. Most commonly, it is flavored with saffron (kesar), which gives it the vibrant yellow-orange color and pistachios (pista) add a pop of green.
Ingredients2 cup Greek Yogurt or plain yogurt
6 tablespoon Powdered sugar I used powdered sugar as it mixes easily.
¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi) optional
⅛ teaspoon Saffron (Kesar)
1 tablespoon Warm milk
1 tablespoon Pistachios crushed or sliced, to garnish (optional)
MethodStraining Yogurt (optional if using greek yogurt)
- Place a mesh strainer in a large bowl. Line a cheesecloth over the strainer.
- Pour the yogurt onto the cheesecloth, gather the corners of the cloth and tie into a bundle.
- Now you can either hang this cheesecloth or place a heavy weight on top of it.
- We want to leave space for the water to collect in the bowl. Leave it out (3-4 hours) or leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
- For greek yogurt, straining 3-4 hours is enough. If using plain yogurt, strain at least overnight or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Making Shrikhand
- Add saffron to warm milk and keep aside.
- Remove and empty the thickened yogurt in a large bowl. Whisk it well for 3-4 minutes to make it smooth.
- Add the sugar, cardamom and saffron soaked in milk. Mix for 3-5 minutes until combined and smooth without any lumps. Then add pistachios and fold them in.
- Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. Serve in bowls and optionally garnish with crushed pistachios and saffron strands.