If you’ve never eaten shrikhand before, then a relentless Indian summer is the ultimate time for your initiation. Made with a simple base of hung curd and sugar, flavoured with saffron and cardamom, it’s creamy but light and impossibly delicious. It should be enjoyed chilled and since this is mango season, if you add fresh mango pulp to the base, you will have a bowl of heaven called aamrakhand. Or, just add chopped mango for the best of both worlds. This is the only shrikhand I really really love to eat, the way it’s been made in my Maharashtrian home all my life and so every other version is held to this high standard!
This family-favourite recipe makes a shrikhand that’s tangy and therefore not cloyingly sweet, has a consistency that’s not super thick unlike many store-bought versions but more pudding-like. Know that if you make a mango version and use enough pulp to really get the flavour to shine, the shrikhand will be thinner (see the recipe notes and photos below) but obviously delicious.
The amount of sugar you use depends on the sourness of the curd which increases in warm weather. So it helps to taste as you go and also know that all the flavours settle in together and intensify by the next day. This is why the recipe below is written a little differently from the usual.
Ok let’s get to it and I hope you enjoy this shrikhand as much as I do!
Please read the recipe notes before beginning.
My Favourite Shrikhand
Ingredients
- 1 litre whole milk
- 2 litres skim milk
- 2 tbsps curd/plain yoghurt as a starter (see notes)
- Granulated or caster sugar (the quantity varies, explained below)
- A pinch of saffron
- 1 tsp cardamom powder (freshly ground is best)
- 6 to 8 Alphonso mangoes (chopped or if making the mango pulp variation, see notes)
Instructions
- Make the curd two days before you plan to serve the shrikhand. Boil the milk and set aside till lukewarm. Add the starter curd, stir well, cover and leave it to set at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours or overnight in cooler weather. The curd should have a visible layer of whey on the top to indicate it's fully set. Once done, refrigerate till firm, preferably overnight.
- When ready to hang the curd, take a large muslin/cheese cloth, tip all of the set and chilled curd into it, and secure it tightly with a sturdy string. Hang the bundle of curd at a reasonable height, for 8 hours or overnight, till all the whey has drained out. Make sure you have a large vessel underneath the bundle to catch all the liquid.
- Once the curd is drained of all liquid, untie the cloth and in a large mixing bowl, add one heaped spoon of the hung curd and one level spoon of sugar, alternately. Use two large spoons to speed up the process, making sure they're the same size. Repeat until all the hung curd is in the bowl. The amount of sugar used is roughly three-fourths of the quantity of hung curd you get.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the curd and sugar on medium speed till smooth. Add the saffron and cardamom powder and beat again to combine. The shrikhand should be sweet, with a hint of tanginess. Taste and add a bit more sugar if needed as in warm weather, the curd will be more sour.
- Refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours before serving. It tastes delicious as is or for a summery touch, add freshly chopped mango on top. For a variation using mango pulp, see recipe notes.
- Keep the shrikhand stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for longer. Enjoy!
Notes
Fabulously decadent
I agree 🙂