This easy and quick to make recipe is traditionally made using hung curd. Hung curd is nothing but yogurt with all its whey drained out. Shrikhand is my all-time favorite dessert. For this recipe I am using Greek yogurt, which is a lot thicker and creamier in consistency than regular yogurt. According to Ayurveda, adding saffron and crushed cardamom powder helps neutralize the mucous-forming properties of yogurt and make it more digestible. I have also replaced the sugar traditionally used in the recipe with maple syrup. Kapha doshas should eat this occasionally with a pinch of ginger.
Shrikhand (Hung Curd Indian Dessert)
Ingredients
(everything organic)
1 32 oz greek yogurt container
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup of pistachios, lightly crushed with mortar and pestle
8 green cardamom pods, de-seeded and seeds crushed to fine powder in mortar pestle
½ tsp saffron strands, in 1 tbsp of milk
Additional few strands of saffron and crushed pistachios for garnish
Method
Tie the yogurt in a cheesecloth and leave it hanging over an empty bowl till all the excess whey drains out (~ 3-4 hours). Combine the drained yogurt with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Garnish with saffron strands and pistachios on the top. Enjoy at room temperature or cold. Shrikhand keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
–Jyoti Jain
Jyoti Jain is a culinary instructor, food blogger, and food photography enthusiast and has been teaching the Art of Wholesome Eating (AWE) class through the Art of Living Foundation for over 12 years.
