Kesar Shrikhand

How to make Kesar Shrikhand | Saffron and Cardamom Flavored Sweetned  Strained Yogurt Recipe | श्रीखन्ड (Shrikhand) recipe with stepwise pictures | Sweetened Strained Yogurt Flavored with Saffron and Pistachios | Creamy Saffron Flavored Yogurt Recipe with Pistachios| Shrikhand made with Condensed Milk

Hello friends, 

I'm back with one more famous yogurt based scrumptious recipe from the State of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Sharing Kesar Shrikhand Recipe with a stepwise pictorial guide.

Shrikhand is derived from the Sanskrit word Shikharini which literally means Ambrosia or Food of God's 

Shrikhand is a creamy, semi soft, chilled, lip smacking, sweetish-sour, a whole milk product which is made from the hung curd which is further sweetened with powdered sugar or condensed milk or pureed fruit pulp and flavored with saffron and cardamom powder. Hung curd means strained yogurt and the whey is removed and the only solid mass is used in this recipe, which is also known as "Chakka".

Shrikhand is a traditional classic sweet dish which is mainly served during festival and ceremonies. Shrikhand is best accompanied with Poori (Poori/ Puri - unleavened deep-fried Indian bread). It feels both are made for each other.. 

Shrikhand is also flavored with pureed mango pulp and that preparation is called as Aamrakhand. Aamrakhand is the most popular and religiously prepared food in Gujarati houses in every mango season in India. If you get a chance to visit Gujarati friend house in any mango season (March/ April till first rainfall of the monsoon season), aamrakhand puri is one food that is surely going to be served to you. My neighbor is Jain Gujarati and as per her mango season means daily consumption of aamras, or aamrakhand or aamrakhand curry.

My today's Shrikhand recipe is prepared from the homemade thickened curd.. For that milk is thickened by slow cooking method till it hits the desirable consistency. One teaspoon of sugar is also added in this milk as that helps to control the sourness of curd, as the focus was to prepare very fresh and mild sour Shrikhand..

How to make thick and firm homemade curd?

To make thick curd for this recipe, boil 500 ml whole milk. Boil for a little longer time till a layer of cream forms and it reduces to 60-70%. Cool down the milk to lukewarm. Add 1-2 tsp curd, mix the curd well and then shake from one container to another for 3-5 times. Cover with the lid and leave it to set for 7-9 hours. Keep the container in a safe place where you don't need to keep moving and don't touch in between.. When set, refrigerate it for at least 3-4 hours.

☑ Let's start with the recipe details 

• Cuisine - Indian

• Recipe Type - Accompaniment / Side dish / Sweet dessert, 

• Recipe difficulty level - Easy
• Yield 250-300 grams 
• Preparation time 5-10 min + time needed to filter out the whey from the curd i.e. Hung Curd -Strained yogurt 4-5 hrs

☑ Ingredients required 

• Hung curd (end product received from homemade curd approx 250-300 grams)
• 1tbsp warm milk
• 10-12 saffron strands 
• 2 cardamom (powdered) 
• 6-7 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (approximately 60-70 ml) or as per taste and also depend upon sourness of curd 

☑ For garnish

• 1tbsp pistachios and a few edible rose petals 

♨ Method 

☑ Step 1 - Make Chakka - Hung Curd 

◾Take a colander lined with clean cheese cloth or muslin cloth. Transfer curd into muslin cloth. Tie the muslin cloth and hung it for 4-5 hours or till the whey drains out. Or tie the muslin cloth and press it or put a heavy stone above it, to drain the whey from the curd.

☑ Step 2 - Final preparations 

◾Rub the saffron threads in 1tbsp warm milk for 3-5 minutes until fully dissolved.

◾Take a mixing bowl, add hung curd, saffron and cardamom powder. Mix all the ingredients.

◾ Lastly, add condensed milk and whisk well with the help of spiral whisk until smooth and creamy. Place it in the refrigerator for 20-25 minutes.

◾Serve chilled, garnished with pistachios and edible rose petals.