Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand Recipe (Sweetened Yogurt Dessert)
Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand is a traditional Indian dessert made using sweetened yogurt flavored with ground cardamom and sugar. Make it by thickening plain yogurt or take a shortcut and make it using Greek yogurt, the choice is yours.
Servings: 3 people
Ingredients
- 15-20 strands saffron (kesar)
- 2 tablespoons warm milk
- 1 pound plain yogurt (dahi, curd) 500 g
- ½ cup powdered sugar not confectioner's sugar. Grind the regular sugar in a grinder to make powdered sugar.
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons almond and pistachio slivers for garnishing
Instructions
Make Saffron Infused Milk
- Soak saffron in warm milk for 3-4 hours.
- Using saffron to flavor the shrikhand is optional. Skip this step if you are not using it.
Make Thickened Yogurt (Chakka)
- Keep a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and line it with a muslin cloth, paper towels, or a cheesecloth. There should be some gap between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the strainer for the liquid to collect.
- Add yogurt to the strainer and cover the yogurt with the cloth hanging on the side.
- Keep the bowl in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours or overnight to drain.
- The excess liquid will drip down in the bowl and you will be left with thick creamy yogurt called chakka.
- If using Greek yogurt, you can skip the process of hanging and use it directly.
Make Shrikhand
- Transfer the thickened yogurt to a mixing bowl.
- Add powdered sugar, ground cardamom, and saffron soaked in milk and whisk using a wire whisk until combined and creamy.
- Chill the shrikhand for 2-3 hours for the flavors to mingle well. Transfer it to the serving bowls and garnish with slivered dry fruits. Serve!
- Tip – Use a silicon spatula to gather all the shrikhand on the bowl.
Video
Notes
To fasten the process you can use Greek yogurt. It is already quite thick and so you don’t have to hang it. Just mix it with the flavorings and your shrikhand is ready.
Add more or less sugar depending on how sweet you like it.
You can easily scale this recipe up or down.
You can skip using saffron in the recipe if it is not easily available and make srikhand flavored with only cardamom powder.
Nutrition
Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 342mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 1mg
