Shrikhand made with Greek Yogurt and flavored with saffron, cardamom & pistachios! This popular Indian dessert is so easy to make and makes a great treat for the festive season.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: Not specified
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 lb greek yogurt (plain, full fat)
  • 4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 2 teaspoons milk (10 ml)
  • saffron strands (generous pinch of)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios (unsalted, + more to serve)

Method

  1. Line a strainer with muslin cloth. Then place a bowl below the strainer. Add yogurt to the muslin cloth.
  2. Bring the ends of the muslin cloth together to close it. Then place heavy object like a mortar pestle on top of the yogurt and let it sit in the fridge overnight. If you want you can skip this step while using Greek Yogurt and go straight to step 4. I do this step even though I use Greek Yogurt because I prefer super thick texture.
  3. In the morning, you will have super thick yogurt and there will be some whey collected in the glass bowl. Transfer the yogurt from the muslin cloth into a bowl.
  4. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder to the yogurt. Whisk to mix the sugar and cardamom powder.
  5. In a small pan, heat 2 teaspoon of milk. Add saffron strands (crush them between your palms before adding) to the warm milk. Remove pan from heat and let it sit for 2 minutes.
  6. Add the saffron milk into the yogurt and mix. Add in the chopped pistachios.
  7. Chill the Kesar Pista Shrikhand for 3 to 4 hours before serving. It really thickens as it chills. Serve with more garnished pistachios.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.