Shrikhand is a rich, creamy, delicious, and easy-to-make Indian dessert made from thick yogurt, sugar, and flavored with saffron and cardamom.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: 730 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 3 cups plain yogurt (curd) (or (1.5 cups greek yogurt))
  • 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 big pinch saffron strands
  • 2 teaspoons warm milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 2 tablespoons pistachios (chopped)

Optional Garnish

  • 1 pinch saffron
  • pistachios

Method

Make Thickened Yogurt (Chakka)

  1. To start with, place a strainer on a medium-sized bowl and line a muslin cloth or cheesecloth inside.
  2. Then pour the yogurt (dahi) into the lined strainer. Then bring the edges of the muslin cloth together and gently twist so that the liquid (or whey) starts dripping into the bowl.
  3. Now place a heavy object like a heavy bowl or mortar and pestle to weigh down the tied muslin cloth. Allow it to drain any excess liquid for at least 5-6 hours or overnight. When straining, make sure to keep it in the refrigerator; otherwise, the yogurt can turn sour. Note: The longer you strain the yogurt, the thicker and creamier it will be. If using Greek yogurt, you can skip this step or strain for 1-2 hours.

Make Saffron Infused Milk

  1. Soak the saffron strands in 1 tablespoon of warm milk for at least 10-15 minutes.

Making Shrikhand

  1. In a mixing bowl, add the strained yogurt, powdered sugar, saffron milk and mix it well with a spoon until it's smooth and creamy.
  2. Then add cardamom powder, chopped pistachios and fold them in.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to chill and for the flavors to blend. Once chilled, Transfer it to the serving bowls and garnish it with saffron strands and chopped nuts, and enjoy!

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.