Make Shrikhand: Easy Maharashtrian Sweet Dish
Strain yogurt and collect the creamy solid (Chakka); mix in ground sugar and beat/whip (in food processor, mixer or food mill) until silky smooth. Stir in saffron, ground cardamom and ground nutmeg. Stir in chopped nuts (optional). Serve cool/chilled, accompanied by freshly made, puffed up Puris for a festive meal. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Food Processor if not available, Hand-held mixer, Stand Mixer or manual Food Mill OK
- Spice/Coffee grinder to grind sugar
Ingredients
- 400 g Chakka (from 900 g Greek Yogurt - strained further) - (also called Hung curd) 32 oz, about 3 3/4 cups Greek Yogurt; or 4 1/2 cups yogurt (1.125 Kg yogurt, made from 1 liter milk) gives about 2 cups thick Chakka)
- 10 tbsp Sugar - granulated (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) adjust as per sweetness preferred - this much sugar makes moderately sweet Shrikhand
- 10-15 strands Saffron
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg - freshly grated preferred pre-grated nutmeg is not as flavorful- may need to add an extra pinch
- 1/4 tsp Green cardamom - freshly crushed/ground use mortar and pestle; pre-ground cardamom is not as flavorful - may need to add an extra pinch
Nuts: Optional - Stir in and/or Garnish
- 5-6 pieces Almonds or Pistachios - slivered thinly Traditionally, one uses 1 tbsp lightly toasted Charoli (Chironji)
Instructions
Make Chakka From Greek Yogurt (See Recipe Notes to make Chakka from Yogurt )
- Place a thick bath towel on the counter. Place a double layer of paper towels on top (or use a large cotton handkerchief - fine weave). Spoon the Greek Yogurt on the paper.
- Cover with a double layer of paper towels (or another large cotton handkerchief - fine weave). Press down gently to create a smooth surface.
- Place another bath towel on top. Then place a heavy, flat-bottom pot on the towel. Fill the pot with hot water (mix about 2 cups boiling hot water with 2 cups cold water) - this keeps the yogurt warm and helps the whey drain faster. Leave it alone for about an hour.
- During this time, measure and grind the sugar to a coarse powder. Set aside. Also grind cardamom seeds with a mortar and pestle and set it aside. Grate nutmeg using a fine grater (be careful not to hurt your fingers when you do this!) and set it aside.
- Remove the pot and gently peek underneath the paper towel to check the appearance of the yogurt. It should look and feel pretty dry (touch it); it might also develop a few cracks ( see picture) - that's a good sign- it means that the Chakka is ready and you can peel away the top layer of paper towels.
- Lift about half of the bottom paper towel layer and fold over gently. Peel the paper towel away carefully to collect the Chakka on top of the other half.
- Track down the random bits of Chakka left behind in nooks and crannies. You can use a small piece of Chakka to "pick up" other little pieces from various spots on the paper towel: they stick like glue to the piece in your hand.
- Carefully transfer all the Chakka to a bowl - I recommend using a glass or stainless steel bowl. I do not recommend using a plastic bowl.
Make Shrikand
- With 2 sturdy forks, break up the Chakka till it looks granular (see picture)
- Add the coarsely powdered sugar to the Chakka.
- Use a sturdy spoon to mix in the sugar with the Chakka - a wooden spoon works really well - it will start to clump together as you mix.
- Add the saffron threads to about 2-3 tsp warm milk in a small bowl and set it aside to soak for a few minutes.
- If using a food processor, transfer the Chakka-sugar mixture to the work bowl of a food processor. Process the Chakka-Sugar mixture till smooth in a Food Processor If using a hand held mixer, you can beat the mixture directly in the bowl you have the mixture in.If using a stand mixer, transfer the mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer. The directions are pretty much the same, whichever gadget you use.
- Begin processing with short pulses 5-7 seconds each. The mixture is pretty stiff at first, but begins to loosen as the sugar starts to dissolve.
- After 5-6 pulses, open the lid and stir a bit. Process again, for 1-2 min (or a bit longer), about 30 seconds at a time, mixing with a spatula (silicone spatula works best) if needed, till the mixture starts looking pretty smooth and you don't see clumps and crumbles any more.
- Add the saffron-soaked milk, along with most of the freshly ground cardamom and freshly grated nutmeg.Save the rest of the cardamom and nutmeg for garnish.
- Stir a bit with a spatula.
- Process again to mix and beat well until the mixture starts to look glossy smooth and fluffy. It may take about 1-2 minutes, or maybe just a bit longer.
- Transfer the Shrikhand to a pretty serving bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with finely slivered nuts and a sprinkling of saffron threads, cardamom and nutmeg and serve.
- Serve it up... it's best with freshly made, fluffy and puffed up hot Puris. Or, serve it as an after-dinner, stand-alone dessert.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Make Chakka from Fresh Yogurt
Make about 2 cups Chakka from about 4 1/2 cups fresh yogurt (40 oz / 1.125Kg). Note: Check to make sure that the yogurt is not too sour.- Bring the yogurt to room temperature before straining: the whey will drain much faster this way.
- Place the container of cold yogurt in a bowl of warm water to speed this up.
- If the yogurt is in a glass/plastic container, transfer it to a stainless steel container first, then place this in warm water. The yogurt should warm up in 10-15 min.
- Place the container of cold yogurt in a bowl of warm water to speed this up.
- Line a colander (or fine mesh strainer) with muslin, cheesecloth, or a floursack towel
- I don't recommend using a terry-cloth towel - it is too hard to remove the strained yogurt from this type of fabric
- Place the colander/strainer over a pot to catch the whey
- Make sure the bottom of the colander does not touch the base of the pot: there should be at least 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) space below the colander to allow the whey to collect in the pot.
- Spoon the yogurt into the colander
- Collect the corners of the towel and tie with a sturdy rubber band just above the level of the yogurt.
- Pick up the bundle and squeeze the yogurt gently: don't squeeze too hard or the yogurt will start to ooze through the fabric
- the clear whey starts to drip right away
- After a couple of min, put the bundle back down (in the colander)
- Place a heavy bowl on top of the yogurt bundle and set it aside for about an hour.
- Untie the bundle: the texture of the yogurt will be much thicker - like Greek yogurt
- Continue with the Chakka-making as per the instructions given for Greek Yogurt in the main recipe directions.
- Collect the whey from the pot and save it for another use.
Advance Prep for Special Occasion Meal
Shrikhand is perfectly suited for advance prep: there are several options.- Make the Chakka 2-3 days in advance - store in a glass/ceramic container in the refrigerator.
- When you're ready to make the Shrikhand, bring the Chakka to room temperature first, before mixing the sugar:
- It will be much easier to beat/blend the Chakka-sugar mixture if it is not super-cold!
- When you're ready to make the Shrikhand, bring the Chakka to room temperature first, before mixing the sugar:
- You can also finish making the Shrikhand up to a week in advance of your special occasion meal: this way, all you have to do is let it thaw before you serve.
- Freeze the Shrikhand in small, 1-2 cup size containers : do not store in one large container- it will take a long time to thaw!
- Transfer the containers from the freezer to the refrigerator about 10-12 hours before you wish to serve; let the Shrikhand thaw in the refrigerator
- Consume within 3-4 days
- I recommend dividing the large batch into small 1-2 cup size glass/ceramic lidded containers - they are much easier to thaw when needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 12gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 13mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 151IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 721mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!