SHRIKHAND : A DELICIOUS FERMENTED SWEET

Shrikhand is a popular, classic, thick, and delectable Indian yogurt. It is made from strained yogurt and flavored with some fruits or nuts. Strained yogurt also is known as yogurt cheese, greek yogurt is the main ingredient in preparing the Shrikhand. As sweets are commonly known all over India but it popular especially in the states of Gujrat and Maharastra.

Since India is a vast country with diversified cultures and cuisines with array numbers of popular Indian sweets and desserts, it outshines and truly showcase its popularity particularly among the people of Gujarat. The preparation of shrikhand is very simple but takes some time to process the yogurt perfectly.

To prepare shrikhand, yogurt is tied in a muslin cloth and left under the pressure to drain. Due to the straining process to remove excess whey, even non-fat varieties are rich and creamy. Strained yogurt is known as chakka. It is strained yogurt, sugar, saffron, cardamom, diced fruit, and nuts together to give a thick smooth creamy texture. It is a very popular dairy product in the state of Gujarat similar to ice cream. In many parts of India, it is served with puri or poori. 

It is an excellent, mouth-watering dessert that can be varied with different flavors. The key ingredient of the dessert is yogurt. Yogurt is a very versatile creation and can be used alone or as an adjunct to any dish. Yogurt is acidic, has a sour and tart taste, and stays fresh longer than milk. It can be eaten plain or mixed with vegetables, fruits, or other flavors. Fruits like strawberry, mango, pineapple are mixed to make yummy yogurts.

The yogurt needs to sweet and not sour or else you’ll end adding lots of sugar. Chill and serve dollops in a bowl garnished with sliced nuts. You can add different flavors, add Mango pulp and it becomes amarkhand, add cut fruits to get fruity and colorful Shrikhand. It is truly luscious, creamy, and strike your taste buds when eaten chilled. It can be prepared with varied variations. 

A popular variation of shrikhand in Maharashtra is amarkhand, which is shrikhand mixed with mango pulp and made homogeneous with a blender. Matho is another variant of shrikhand that is very popular in a few parts of Gujarat which is served as a sweet or dessert. The preparation method is almost the same, but some fresh fruits are always added to Matho.

Read More : Gulab Jamun

I have tried an experiment on shrikhand with the best innovative mango recipes. It is a soothing mix of yogurt, mangoes, saffron, and cardamom. Mango with shrikhand is a heavenly combination one can have in summers. It being a creamy and luscious Indian dessert is paired with the king of fruits. 

Recipe For Mango Shrikhand

Ingredients

For Hung Curd

• Yogurt 1.5 cups

For Shrikhand

• Sugar 3/4 cup
• Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
• Saffron strands 2 pinch
• Mango puree 1/2 cup
• Mango 1 (chopped)

Method

For Hung Curd

1. First-line the strainer on a deep bowl. Then line a muslin cheesecloth or kitchen cotton towel on the strainer.
2. Pour the fresh curd. 
3. Bring the four edges of the muslin together and tie one edge tightly around the rest.
4. Gently press and you will see the whey dripping.
5. Now keep the whole thing in the fridge for 4 to 5 hours or overnight. I kept for 24 hours. 

For Shrikhand

1. Take out the hung curd in the bowl.
2. Now whisk the curd and castor sugar together.
3. Add the mango puree and whisk some more until smooth.
4. Now put saffron and cardamom powder to the mixture and mix again.
5. Add the chopped mango pieces and whisk again to make a thick mixture.
6. Serve the mango shrikhand chilled.