Shrikhand — sweet strained yoghurt with saffron and cardamom

i. Origin & history

Sweetened, spiced curd has a long history in India. Food historians often link shrikhand to shikharini, a dish of curd with sugar and spices described in older Sanskrit literature, and the name shrikhand is usually explained as a combination of shri, an honorific suggesting something fine or auspicious, and khand, sugar. Both derivations are widely repeated but should be read as likely rather than certain.

Today shrikhand belongs above all to Maharashtra and Gujarat, and, to a lesser degree, to Karnataka. In Maharashtra it is the traditional sweet for Gudi Padwa, the Marathi New Year in spring, and is served at weddings, Dussehra and many family celebrations. In Gujarat, shrikhand-puri, cold shrikhand eaten with hot, puffed fried bread, is a classic festive meal, and shrikhand is a staple of wedding feasts and Janmashtami.

Shrikhand fits the climate of western India: it is cooling and refreshing in hot weather, and it is made from yoghurt, which every household once made daily. The technique of hanging curd to drain is old and practical, and the resulting chakka (strained curd) is the basis of the sweet.

Since the 1980s, factory-made shrikhand has become widely available in India, with dairy cooperatives and big brands selling it in tubs, including the very popular mango version, amrakhand. Homemade shrikhand, though, remains a point of pride: it is thicker, less sweet and more fragrant than most shop versions. It is often compared with Greek yoghurt or labneh, which use the same straining technique, and with the Bengali mishti doi, which is sweetened before it sets rather than strained.

ii. Why the yoghurt is hung — and why it sometimes gets too sour

Plain yoghurt is about 85–88% water, much of it in the form of whey trapped in the protein network. Hanging the yoghurt in muslin lets gravity drain away the whey, concentrating the proteins and fat into a thick, dense curd — chakka — about 40–45% of the original weight. That is what gives shrikhand its rich, almost cream-cheese-like body without any cream being added.

Straining also concentrates the sourness. The lactic acid stays in the curd, and if the yoghurt is hung in a warm kitchen, bacteria continue to ferment and the curd becomes increasingly sour. This is why traditional recipes call for fresh, mild yoghurt and, in hot weather, hanging it in the fridge. Six to eight hours in the fridge is usually enough.

Sugar changes the texture. When powdered sugar is mixed into the chakka, it dissolves in the remaining moisture and the mixture loosens noticeably — a dense curd becomes a soft, spoonable cream. That is why the curd needs to be very thick before sweetening; shrikhand made from lightly strained yoghurt turns runny.

The last step is smoothness. Passing the sweetened chakka through a fine sieve, or whisking it hard, breaks up any lumps of curd and dissolves the sugar fully, giving the silky texture of good shrikhand. Grainy shrikhand is usually the result of skipping this step or using granulated sugar.

iii. Ingredients

Makes 6 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 1 kg fresh full-fat plain yoghurt
• 130 g icing sugar or powdered sugar, to taste
• 15 saffron threads, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
• ½ tsp ground green cardamom
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
• 1 tbsp pistachios, slivered
• 1 tbsp almonds, slivered
• 1 tbsp charoli (chironji) seeds (optional)

Use fresh, mild full-fat yoghurt: low-fat yoghurt gives a chalky, thin shrikhand, and old yoghurt is too sour. Homemade yoghurt is traditional. For a shortcut, start with about 450 g of thick Greek yoghurt and skip or shorten the hanging. Use powdered sugar, which dissolves without graininess; adjust the amount depending on how sour your yoghurt is. Saffron and cardamom are the classic flavourings; nutmeg is a Maharashtrian touch. Charoli (chironji) are small, almond-flavoured seeds often used in Gujarati shrikhand.

iv. Method

1. Line a large sieve with a double layer of muslin or a clean, thin cotton cloth and set it over a deep bowl. Pour in the yoghurt.
2. Gather the corners of the cloth, tie them, and hang the bundle from a shelf in the fridge over the bowl — or leave it in the sieve with a weight on top. Drain for 6–8 hours or overnight, until the curd is very thick and no more whey drips. You should have about 400–450 g of chakka.
3. Scrape the chakka into a bowl, discarding the whey (or use it in bread or curries).
4. Add the sugar and mix well. The curd will loosen as the sugar dissolves.
5. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve with the back of a spoon, or whisk it hard for 2–3 minutes, until completely smooth and glossy.
6. Stir in the saffron milk, cardamom and nutmeg. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
7. Spoon into serving bowls, scatter with pistachios, almonds and charoli, cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

v. Tips & common mistakes

• Start with fresh, mild yoghurt. Straining concentrates sourness; yoghurt that is already sour makes a sharp, unpleasant shrikhand.
• Hang the curd in the fridge. At warm room temperature, the yoghurt keeps fermenting and gets more sour while it drains.
• Strain until it is really thick. The sugar will loosen it; a curd that is only lightly strained turns runny.
• Use powdered sugar. Granulated sugar does not dissolve fully in thick curd and leaves a grainy texture.
• Sieve or whisk the mixture. This is what makes shrikhand silky rather than lumpy.
• Sweeten to taste. The amount of sugar depends on how sour the curd is; taste and adjust before adding the flavourings.

vi. Variations

Amrakhand folds in thick Alphonso mango pulp and is the summer favourite in Maharashtra. Kesar elaichi shrikhand is the classic saffron and cardamom version. Dry fruit shrikhand is packed with chopped nuts. Rose, strawberry, pineapple and chocolate versions are sold in shops. Matho, from Gujarat, is a very similar dish, sometimes with a softer consistency.

Related Indian dairy sweets include Bengal's mishti doi, a set, caramel-sweetened yoghurt, and rasmalai and sandesh, made from chhena. For another festival dish of Maharashtra, see puran poli. The European cousin is the Polish sernik cheesecake, made from fresh curd cheese.

vii. Serving & storage

Serve shrikhand chilled. In Maharashtra and Gujarat it is classically eaten with hot puris, the contrast of cold, tangy sweetness and hot fried bread being the point. It is also served on its own as a dessert in small bowls, or as part of a festive thali.

It keeps for three to four days in a covered container in the fridge; it will slowly become more sour. The chakka can be made a day ahead and sweetened on the day of serving. Shrikhand can be frozen for up to a month, though the texture becomes slightly grainy; whisk well after thawing.

ix. More from Indian & South Asian

• Mishti Doi — Bengali sweet yoghurt
• Puran Poli — sweet stuffed flatbread
• Rasmalai — chhena in saffron milk
• Phirni — chilled ground-rice pudding
• Mohanthal — Gujarati gram-flour fudge
• Sernik — Polish curd cheesecake