Shrikhand
Strained yogurt whipped with cardamom and saffron — western India's effortless silk dessert.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 500 g Yogurt
- 80 g Sugar
- ½ tsp Cardamom powder
- 0.13 tsp Saffron (optional)
- 2 tbsp Pistachios (optional)
- 1 tbsp Milk (optional)
Method
- Set the yogurt in a cloth-lined sieve over a bowl to drain its whey, about 15 minutes.
- Steep the saffron in the warm milk until it blooms golden. (optional)
- Roughly chop the pistachios for the topping. (optional)
- Whisk the thickened yogurt with the sugar and cardamom — and the saffron milk, if you steeped it — until satin-smooth.
- Chill the shrikhand briefly so it sets and the flavors meld.
- Spoon the shrikhand into bowls and serve crowned with the pistachios.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Shrikhand
Shrikhand is a strained-yogurt dessert from western India, beloved across Maharashtra and Gujarat where it often appears as part of a festive thali alongside puris. The whole dish turns on one simple move: draining the yogurt through a cloth until the whey runs off and what remains is thick, tangy, and almost cheesecake-dense. That concentrated base is then whipped smooth with sugar, cardamom, and saffron bloomed in warm milk, no cooking required.
The texture is silky and luxurious, the tang of the yogurt balanced against the sugar and perfumed with floral cardamom and honeyed saffron — rich-tasting yet lighter than a custard or cream dessert. It is served well chilled, spooned into bowls and crowned with chopped pistachios that add color and crunch against the smooth cream. Effortless in the best sense, shrikhand needs no stove and comes together mostly while the yogurt drains, making it the kind of make-ahead sweet that rewards a little patience with real elegance.
Shrikhand: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Shrikhand?
One serving of Shrikhand has about 179 calories, with 5g of protein, 27g of carbs, 6g of fat and 0g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Shrikhand gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Shrikhand has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Shrikhand dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Yogurt, Milk. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Shrikhand take to make?
About 25 minutes start to finish, but only around 9 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Shrikhand?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out saffron, pistachios, milk — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Shrikhand make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.