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Chilled, creamy dessert made with saffron and cardamom flavoured hung curd

My Favourite Shrikhand

Chilled, creamy dessert made with saffron and cardamom flavoured hung curd. There's a mango variation too!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 10 servings
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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

*While homemade curd is the best for shrikhand, you can also use 1kg storebought  Greek yoghurt for this recipe and proceed with step 3 as written.
*To make 'aamrakhand' or mango shrikhand, add the pulp of 6 to 8 Alphonso mangoes to the hung curd and sugar at step 4 and omit the saffron and cardamom (a chunkier pulp is great, you don't need to blend it till smooth). This quantity of mango gives the shrikhand the best flavour, but it also makes it thinner. Use less mango pulp if you prefer a thicker consistency.
*Prep-time does not include the time for the curd to thicken. Cook time is an estimate if you're making homemade curd.