Shrikhand Recipe (Traditional & Instant)

Shrikhand is a delicious and simple dessert recipe made with thick yogurt flavored with sugar, saffron and cardamom. Whether you choose to use homemade hung curd or take a shortcut by using store bought Greek yogurt, this easy dessert is the perfect after dinner sweet. I share two ways of making shrikhand recipe with hung curd as well as greek yogurt.

About Shrikhand

Popular in the western Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, shrikhand is one of the easiest and tastiest desserts around.

You can make this delicious sweetened yogurt using just 6 ingredients, and with only a few minutes of preparation. Seriously, it just takes 15 minutes of work!

If sweetened yogurt doesn’t sound like much of a dessert to you, I should point out that shrikhand is considered an important component of Maharashtrian and Gujarati weddings.

This humble dessert is delicious enough to be served as part of the wedding thali meal, so you know it has to be good!

Traditional shrikhand is made using hung curd (also known as ‘Chakka‘ in Marathi language), a homemade yogurt that is drained of any whey.

With the growing popularity and availability of Greek yogurt, though, I have included this recipe version too in this post. Because of this shortcut, shrikhand has become my go-to dessert.

The resulting dish is creamy, thick and dense, almost like a tart cheesecake filling or thick pudding. In fact, if you wanted, you could probably use shrikhand to make a lovely icebox pie.

I also love that I don’t have to feel guilty about eating this traditional sweet. One serving of my shrikhand recipe made with hung curd is packed with 20% of the daily recommended protein and over 30% of calcium needed in a day. “Good for you dessert” is no longer an oxymoron!

Ingredients and Variations

Saffron and cardamom are a stunning combination of flavors when paired with tangy yogurt. While this kesar elaichi (literally “saffron cardamom”) flavored shrikhand is a favorite among Indians, the flavor combinations are endless.

Hung yogurt is basically a blank canvas, meaning it will take on any flavors you add to it. Aside from this recipe, I also love making Mango Shrikhand, but you can use any fruit purée that you wish.

Additionally, I love topping my shrikhand with pistachios for some crunch and salt, but you can opt for any nut that you fancy.

So come follow along with me as I show you step-by-step pictures of how to make your own hung yogurt and turn it into the delightful treat known as kesar elaichi shrikhand. You will be so glad that you did.

How to make Traditional Shrikhand

Make Hung Yogurt

Note: If you are using Greek yogurt or labna, you can skip these steps and read on below.

1. Line a mesh strainer with muslin, cheesecloth or a cotton tea towel. Set it atop a large bowl to allow drainage.

Tip: Choose a large enough bowl that the bottom of the strainer doesn’t come in contact with the bottom of the bowl.

2. Pour the fresh curd into the lined strainer. For reference, I added 4.5 cups of homemade curd (made from 1 litre of whole milk that yielded about 1.125 kg of curd).

Tip: Be sure to use fresh curd, not any that has gone sour.

3. Bring the four edges of the muslin together and tie one edge tightly around the rest.

4. Gently press to start the whey dripping.

5. Now weigh down the tied muslin, using a heavy bowl or a bowl. If you have a hook, you can also hung the muslin in your refrigerator. Allow to drain for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

6. Here is a look at the curd I drained the very next day. As you can see, the whey has been drained off and the remaining curd is very thick.

Tip: Use the collected whey in your everyday Indian food like preparing roti, gravies, rice dishes, lentils, etc. It is very rich in nutrients and offers a lovely tangy flavor.

7. Hung curd (or chakka) is very creamy and smooth. The texture is similar to that of cream cheese. For reference, the yield from 1.125 kgs of yogurt was 425 grams of hung curd.

Note: If you are not using the hung curd right away, be sure to place it in a lidded bowl in the refrigerator for safekeeping.

Now that you have the hung curd ready, you can make delicious shrikhand in just a few minutes’ time!

Prepare the Flavorings

8. Add ½ tablespoon warm milk in a small bowl and steep 2 pinches of saffron strands. Stir and set aside.

9. In a mortar, crush 4 to 5 green cardamom pods into a powder. Set aside.

Tip: Whole spices keep their oils (and flavor!) much better than ground spices. I highly recommend grinding your own cardamom for the best flavor possible.

Make Shrikhand

10. Place the hung curd in a bowl.

11. Add fine or superfine sugar or raw sugar and lightly stir with a spatula or spoon.

Note: You can also use powdered sugar or castor sugar

12. Add the saffron steeped milk and powdered cardamom.

13. Using an electric beater, begin to whip the hung curd. You can also beat the hung yogurt in a blender or a stand-mixer.

Note: In many Maharashtrian homes, shrikhand is made by blending and sieving the hung curd through puran yantra, which is similar to what Americans refer to as a “food mill.” To make things extra quick and easy, I have used an electric beater. You can also beat with a wired whisk, but it takes a lot of time and elbow grease to get things to the right consistency for this much quantity of hung curd.

14. Whip until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is very smooth. Check the taste and add more sugar if required.

15. With a silicon spatula scrape all of the yummy shrikhand into your serving bowls, using the spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten the mixture with a decorative swirl.

16. Chill the shrikhand in the fridge for at least an hour for the flavors to meld and for it to firm up. Prior to serving, top with some sliced dry fruits, roasted nuts or charoli/chironji. I added some crushed pistachios for garnish.

With Greek Yogurt

Making shrikhand recipe with greek yogurt saves you of the additional time spent in hanging the curd to remove the whey.

Greek yogurt is thick unlike the usual homemade Curd as the whey has been already removed during its making.

So all you need is just about 10 to 15 minutes to make shrikhand from greek yogurt. Refrigerate for half to one hour and you are ready to serve it.

So when you are are short of time or expecting sudden guests, you can make this quick recipe of shrikhand with greek yogurt.

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, take ½ to 1 tablespoon milk and warm it on a stove top or in a microwave. Add a pinch of saffron strands – about 12 to 15 strands. Mix and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl take 1.5 cups chilled greek yogurt (about 400 grams).

Add Sugar & Whisk

3. Add ⅓ cup fine sugar. I have used unrefined organic cane sugar. You can also add powdered sugar instead. Add sugar as per taste.

First add ⅓ cup and if required you can add 1 to 2 tablespoon more. For a more sweet taste, you can add ½ cup sugar.

4. With a wired whisk and with brisk round movements, mix the sugar with the yogurt, as well as beat the yogurt till it becomes smooth and does not have any tiny yogurt granules.

For a quicker work, use a stand mixer or an electric beater to whip the greek yogurt.

5. Here’s the greek yogurt whipped to a perfect smooth, creamy consistency. This takes about 6 to 7 minutes.

Add Flavorings

6. Now add the saffron soaked milk and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom powder and 2 to 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg.

7. Mix again very well.

8. Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes to a couple of hours. You can also keep overnight or for a couple of days.

While serving, sprinkle some sliced or chopped dry fruits (almonds, cashews, pistachios, chironji) and 2 to 3 saffron strands (optional).

I have used chopped cashews for garnish. Serve greek yogurt shrikhand.

What do you eat with Shrikhand

Enjoy shrikhand as it is like a sweet dessert. Want even more crunch and a bit of richness? Serve alongside delicious fried Poori!

Storage and Make Ahead

Store shrikhand in a covered container or box for a week in the refrigerator. For make ahead options, you can make a large batch and freeze for 1 to 2 months.

FAQs

This Shrikhand recipe from the blog archives was first published on April 2015. It has been updated on December 2024.