Shrikhand

A dessert which transforms ordinary curds into a delicacy. Shrikhand is an Indian dessert made of strained yogurt. It is one of the main desserts in Maharashtrian cuisine. The yogurt is tied and hung until all the water has drained off, the result being a thick and creamy yogurt. Dried and fresh fruit such as mango may also added to make it special. Other ingredients include sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron. This is especially made for Gudi Padwa.

The following recipe is incredibly easy and you can adapt the amount of sugar and cardamom to your own personal taste. I was also able to make it without a trip to the store. I already had everything I needed, you might be able to do the same thing. In U.S the curd is very thick and creamy when you buy, so you dont have to hung the curd till the water has drained of. It is that quick and easy to make just by mixing all the ingredients and the dessert is ready to eat. This is one of my well tried out recipes. My whole family loves it. I even make it sugar-free (replace sugar with splenda and it still tastes fantastic) and fat- free by using low fat yogurt. It taste the same. Hope you enjoy this wonderful dessert.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: No cooking time

Ingredients:
2 cups plain full fat yogurt



3/4 cup granulated sugar or more
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Few threads of saffron
1 tbsp of warm milk
4 teaspoons finely chopped green pistachios or almonds


Method:
1. Beat the curd well.



2. In a small bowl soak saffron in 1 tbsp of warm milk, until the color spreads and dissolved



3. Mix all ingredients except pistachios.
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

5. Sprinkle shrikhand with pistachios and almond.

Note: I have found this recipe to be a quick and easy alternative to the traditional shrikhand preparation and guests love it. Increase or decrease the sugar as per your taste.