Shrikhand (Indian Kitchen)
A thick, cool yoghurt pudding sweetened and scented with saffron and cardamom, with pistachio and pomegranate seeds scattered on top. It tastes creamy, lightly floral and sweet, with a fresh crunch from the garnish.
Saffron and cardamom
0.9 gStirred into the sweetened yoghurt (step 5)Everything else
Method
- Line a sieve with muslin and set 1000 g greek yoghurt in it. Gather the corners, tie them, and leave over a bowl to drain for 2 hours.
- Soak 0.3 g saffron in 30 ml warm water for 15 minutes.
- Grind 0.6 g green cardamom pod to a fine powder.
- Put the drained yoghurt in a large bowl, add 125 g caster sugar and mix well.
- Add the saffron and cardamom masala with the saffron soaking water and stir until evenly mixed.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- Top with pistachio and pomegranate seed, to taste.
Don't have something?
Hung natural yoghurtUse the same weight and whisk smooth; same thick consistency.
Full-fat natural yoghurtUse 1.25 times the weight and strain through muslin for 30 minutes; looser if not strained.
Hung yogurtUse the same weight; virtually identical.
Ground turmericUse 15% of the saffron's weight. Replicates the bright yellow colour well, but lacks the floral, earthy depth; use sparingly to avoid bitterness.
Screwpine water or rosewaterUse a few drops combined with a tiny pinch of ground turmeric to mimic both the regal floral aroma and the golden hue.
Granulated sugarUse the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.
Demerara sugarUse the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.
Ground jaggery or soft brown sugarUse the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.
Green cardamom seedUse 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.
Ground green cardamomUse 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.
White cardamom podUse 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.
Pistachio and almondUse the same weight as the pistachio part; add pomegranate seed separately if you have it. Less tart.
PistachioUse the same weight, chop as directed; add a little dried fruit or raisin for the missing tartness.
Pomegranate seedUse the same weight for the seed part only; add chopped pistachio or almond for the nut part.
Similar dishes
- Same: Burnt Onion Raita shares Greek yoghurt and caster sugar with this dish, and both are cool yoghurt-based preparations.
- Different: Burnt Onion Raita uses 1000 g shallots roasted until blackened and ground into 500 g Greek yoghurt with sea salt and sugar, while this dish has no onion and adds saffron, green cardamom, pistachio and pomegranate seeds to 1000 g Greek yoghurt.
- Same: Shallot & Ginger Raita shares a thick Greek yoghurt base and a cool, creamy texture with this dish. Both are served uncooked and rely on a garnish for crunch and freshness.
- Different: Shallot & Ginger Raita uses 500 g Greek yoghurt with chopped banana shallot, fresh ginger, mint, coriander, toasted cumin seed, caster sugar and sea salt. It lacks this dish's saffron, green cardamom, pistachio and pomegranate seeds, and it uses less yoghurt.
- Same: Shrikhand shares with this dish a thick yoghurt base sweetened with caster sugar and flavoured with saffron and green cardamom, with pistachio included.
- Different: Shrikhand uses hung natural yoghurt plus milk, has more cardamom and less sugar than this dish, and lacks pomegranate seeds; this dish uses Greek yoghurt and adds pomegranate garnish.
- Same: Meethi Lassi shares yoghurt, sugar, cardamom, and saffron with this dish.
- Different: Meethi Lassi adds water and rosewater and uses ground cardamom, while this dish uses thick Greek yoghurt, cardamom pods, and a pistachio and pomegranate garnish.