August 17, 2020

Kesar Pista Shrikhand


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 Shrikhand is an Indian dessert prepared using thick yogurt . It is very popular in Western India , especially Maharashtra and Gujurat and occupies a very important place in the menu during marriages and festive occasions.  

Shrikand puri combination is a match made in heaven and there will hardly be anyone who doesn't like this .  Your taste buds are in for a treat when you dunk piping hot puri into some chilled shrikand and savor it . Shrikand and Basundi are the two must have dessert as a part of Maharashtrian  cuisine . Donot forget to check my Basundi recipe under 15 mins presented on my blog .

Shrikand is made in different flavors like cardamom (elaichi) , badam pista (almonds- pistachio) , kesar pista (saffron- pistachio) and fruit flavored too . Aamrakhand is the most favorite fruit flavor shrikand where sweet Mango puree is used for flavoring the yogurt.

Preparation of shrikand is absolutely easy and a child's play .No cooking is involved absolutely and can be made in just about 5 mins . We need to have patience just to prepare the hung curd by draining out the water from the set yogurt.  This can take anywhere between 2 to 6 hrs depending upon how thick the yogurt is . If there is less water content in the yogurt ,then preparation of hung curd takes only about 2 hrs else it might take more time.  Donot forget to follow the tips mentioned  below to get a thick and creamy hung curd .

This Monday for our Foodie Monday Bloghop we are enjoying some MeethePal (Sweet Moments) to enliven the festive season . Come August , India wears a festive look with lots and lots of festivals lined up till January and there is pomp , glory, colors and people rejoicing with food , beautiful clothes and dhol /bhaja /dances all over.  This year though everything is being celebrated at a very low scale due to social distancing measures , we decided to paint our bloggers group with sweets . Sujata ji of Batter up with Sujata suggested this lovely theme of "Sweets" and now all of you be ready for a Sweet Storm 😀.   If you are a fan of Roshogollas like me then you must try Sujata's recipe of Sugarfree Roshogolla .

Tips to get the perfect hung curd 

  • Use thick yogurt set using full fat milk . Donot use left over dahi or curd as it would have released its whey and the dahi will not be thick .
  • I personally prefer the store bought yogurt /dahi as they are evenly set and prepared using homogenized milk . Meaning the texture of the yogurt is even and doesn't have too much water content. 
  • Those who have an access to greek yogurt, that is the best as you need not worry about draining the water for a long time to get  creamy hung curd.
  • A nice clean muslin cloth or even a thick soft cotton cloth can be used for straining the whey from the yogurt.  I have used white cotton dhoti cloth for straining the dahi .
  • It is always best to use white color cloth as there is no risk of color running and making the dahi inedible.
  • If the weather is very hot , you can strain the dahi and leave it in the fridge so it doesn't turn sour. 
  • Keep a separate cloth for this purpose, wash it and dry under sunlight after every use and store it away safely .

Pre Preparation time - 2 to 5 hrs 

Cooking Time - Nil 

Actual Preparation - 5 mins 

Serves - 2 to 3


Ingredients 

400ml thick yogurt or dahi or curd

15 to 20 strands saffron /kesar 

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped unsalted pista

3 tbsp powdered  sugar 

2tbsp warm milk. 


Preparation of Hung curd

Take a wide mixing bowl and place a strainer over it lined with a muslin cloth/ cotton cloth and pour the curd into the cloth . I have used shop bought thick curd for an even consistency. 


Bring the ends of the cloth together, squeeze it once and tie it very tightly . Place a heavy object over the tied cloth and leave the colander over the mixing bowl so that all the whey water will get collected in it . Keep squeezing the cloth occasionally to drain the excess water . 


After about 2 to 3 hrs , you can see all the whey collected in the bowl below and when you open the cloth all that is left is thick creamy mass which is hung curd . Squeeze it once again before removing it from the cloth to ensure there is no water content left.  When you touch the hung curd , it should appear thick and creamy without any excess water.  If you find it watery, leave it for somemore time in  the cloth with the weight on . 

Donot waste the collected whey, you can use it while kneading the dough for rotis or even to prepare buttermilk or Chaas


Preparation of Shrikhand

Soak the saffron strands in the warm milk ..this enables the saffron to release its flavor and color and makes it easy to blend in with the shrikand .


Take the hung curd in a wide mixing bowl. Add in the powdered sugar and saffron mixture and whisk well until it appears creamy and the sugar is mixed well into the hung curd . Adjust sugar if you feel you need it a little more sweeter .


Lastly add the chopped pistachios, mix it and refrigerate it until serving . Shrikand tastes best when served chilled .


Some more traditional sweets on my blog 

Akki Kadlebele Payasa (rice channa dhall kheer) 

Kerala traditional Paal Payasam 

Gass Gasse Payasa (poppy seeds kheer) 

Semia Payasam

Jawwarsi semia paysam  ( sago vermicelli kheer)

Chakka Pradhaman (jackfruit kheer) 


Linking shrikhand to FMBH week 260 Meethe pal 



13 comments:

  1. Love the creamy texture of your kesar pista Shrikhand. It looks just perfect! Chilled Shrikhand with hot pooris is what I am craving for now.

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    1. hey poonam..you won't believe that night I made pooris exclusively for this shrikand :-) maza aagaya

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  2. The shrikhand looks so rich and creamy! Beautifully presented dessert, which I'm sure must have tasted equally beautiful. :)

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    1. you said it right..the hubby who actually doesn't like shrikand took a second spoon that day .that was a huge compliment for me

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  3. Shrikhand looks so beautiful and yummy. Loved the rich creamy texture. I can imagine the divine taste and flavour. I will definitely try it soon.

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  4. OMG...literally drooling as the shrikhand is so creamy and with tempting. Perfect texture and consistency too Priya. Puri Shrikhand, kadhi, a green sabji, rice and dry lentil preparation... perfect meal.

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  5. So inviting bowl of Shrikhand!! I Mumbai my neighbor used to share it with us whenever she made it.. am tempted now to make it.. very detailed post with all the tips and tricks to make a creamy and smooth shrikhand.

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  6. Shrikhand looks so rich and creamy. One of my most favourite dessert. Texture looks so perfect . Just need a bowl to polish it off.

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  7. Shrikand looks very creamy, it just melt in mouth. Loved the flavors of kesar and taste of pista in it. Love to have it any time, just need it chilled to enjoy more. Very well explained to get perfect shrikand.

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  8. chilled treats like these are such a delight.. this is a beautiful, handy dessert to make for potlucks too.

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  9. Such a yummy bowl of shrikhand! This is so delicious lovely. Creamy and chilled! Looks great.

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