What is Shrikhand?

Shrikhand is a sweetish sour fermented dairy dessert produced mainly in India. It is quite popular in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. This absolute delicacy is similar to Quark of Germany. Shrikhand is produced by the fermentation of the milk or from curd.

The best part is this dreamy, creamy dessert is super easy to make.

Benefits

There are many health benefits of shrikhand and is made from hung curd where all its whey has been drained. It is very easy to make this dessert provided you follow the steps of preparing hung curd properly. Let’s find out how you can make shrikhand at home.

In many Indian households, shrikhand is made by blending and sieving the hung curd through juice strainer. To make things convenient, you can use electric beater as well.

Now when the hung curd is ready, it becomes a blank canvas. You can give any flavour to it. For a fruit-based shrikhand, just add the puree or pulp of your favourite fruit after bending the hung curd and then blend again. If you already have the lung curd ready, it takes about 15 minutes or less to prepare shrikhand. This Indian dessert goes perfectly well with pooris and chapatis.

How to make Shrikhand

Preparing hung curd

1. 1. First, you have to line a strainer on a deep bowl, then line a kitchen cotton towel or muslin cloth on the strainer. 
      
   2. Pour the fresh curd on the cloth. The quantity of the curd depends upon the amount of Shrikhand you are planning to make. 
      
   3. Bring the four edges of the cloth together and tie one tip tightly around the rest
      
   4. Gently press, and you will see the whey dripping and getting separated from the curd
   5. Now place a heavy container on the tied cloth. Or you can also hang the muslin cloth in your refrigerator. Now keep the whole thing in the fridge for about 4 to 5 hours or overnight. I prefer to keep it for 24 hours for better taste and texture. Don’t forget to use a deep bowl, so that there is some distance between the curd in the strainer and the collected whey. Otherwise, the whey will touch the strainer and the curd.
   6. Next day, the whey has been completely drained, and there’s hung curd. Use the collected nutrient-rich greenish whey as an ingredient in your everyday meals like chapatis, rice dishes, dals, etc.
   7. This hung curd is very creamy and smooth in texture. The texture is quite similar to that of cream cheese. Now the hung curd is ready. You can proceed to make the shrikhand.Making Saffron and Cardamom flavoured Shrikhand
   8. Take 1/2 tablespoon warm milk in a small bowl and add two pinches of saffron strands to it. Stir and keep it aside.
      
   9. Powder 4 to 5 cardamoms with the help of pestle and mortar and keep it aside.
      
   10. Take the hung curd in a bowl and add fine sugar into it. Lightly stir the mixture with the help of a spatula.
   11. Then add the Saffron dissolved milk and powdered cardamom into it.
   12. Whip the hung curd with the use of electric beater. You can also beat it in the blender.
       
   13. Whip the mixture till it gets smooth, and the sugar gets dissolved completely. Check the taste and add sugar as per your requirement.
   14. With a spatula scrape the beaters’ sides and its edges to remove the shrikhand and then add it to the bowl.
       
   15. You can chill the shrikhand in the fridge and serve later. While serving this delicious dessert, top it with some sliced dry fruits.

The mouth-watering treat is ready to savour!

Additional Resources:

1. 10 Proven Ways Cow Milk Helps You Build Strong Immune System
2. 10 Different Ways to Utilize Ghee for Hair & Skin
3. 13 Amazing Gir Cow Ghee Benefits