Shrikhand is an Indian, Gujarati and Marathi, dessert made primarily with yogurt and cardamom. It is quick to make, looks quite fancy, and has a nice richness of flavor: basically a fancy Indian yogurt.

Ingredients (1 small bowl):

  • 1 small bowl of dry1 Greek2 yogurt
  • Unsalted nuts3 to taste
  • Dried grapes to taste (optional)
  • A hazelnut-sized4 amount of salted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads
  • Powdered sugar to taste

Preparation:

Saffron

  • Grind or chop the saffron finely (reserve some threads for garnish)
  • Mix it and let it bloom in a teaspoon5 of hot water

Nuts

  • Chop the nuts finely (reserve some for garnishing)
  • Roast the nuts, until fragrant, with the dried grapes and butter6 in a small pan

Yogurt

  • Pass the yogurt through a fine sieve7
  • Add the nuts, spices, and sugar
  • Mix until smoothly combined
  • Garnish with the reserved chopped nuts and saffron threads

Credits:

I learned about the dish’s existence, as well as the idea of blooming nuts in butter, in Bon Appétit’s Pro Chefs Give 26 Cooking Tips for Every Letter A-Z video. The final dish is a personal mix of several recipes I saw online and techniques I am familiar with.

  1. You could have it wait overnight in a cheesecloth, press the liquid out, or you can eat only the half side of your yogurt tub which causes the uneaten side to start drying by itself within a day or two. ↩︎

  2. Normal, full-fat, unsweetened yogurt will do in a pinch, as will, obviously, proper Indian curd. ↩︎

  3. Pistachios and almonds would be traditional, but any nuts you have in your pantry will do. ↩︎

  4. I do realize that so far the measurement units are terrible. ↩︎

  5. Very little, we do not want to make our final yogurt watery. ↩︎

  6. Do not be afraid to let the butter brown. ↩︎

  7. This step is necessary to get the typical creamy texture of the dish. ↩︎