The 11-odd pounds of peaches we picked the other day actually decided to ripen at once, that too on day 3. There were only so many ripe peaches and glasses of peach milkshakes a family of three could possibly devour. Initially I thought of jam. But that was too predictable. And we don’t consume a lot of jam anyways. I didn’t want a cake or cobbler too. Been there, done that.
It was time to be innovative. Maybe it was the color or the texture of ripe peach flesh, but I was reminded of mangoes. And wherever ripe mangoes can be used, I decided peaches can be too. That brings me to today’s blog post – shrikhand. Let’s forget the peaches for a while and talk about this creamy Indian dessert.
Shrikhand is simply sweetened hung yogurt (or curd, as we normally call it in India). It is usually flavored with saffron, rose-water or cardamom powder. Or you can go bold with pureed fruit (usually mangoes). Shrikhand is to Indians what flavored yogurt is to the West. It is traditionally popular in our Western states, but I am sure everyone in India has had shrikhand one time or the other.
A cheat’s way of making shrikhand would be to use Greek yogurt from the store – just add sugar, flavorings and fruit, whisk well and call it done. But I wanted to try making hung curd the traditional way. All it takes is a clean muslin cloth or cotton kitchen towel, yogurt, a strainer and time. The yogurt is bundled up in the cloth, hung up to strain the whey and kept undisturbed for 5-6 hours (or overnight) to end up with a creamy and thick product. It is hung in a cool part of the kitchen to prevent it from getting sour. If you are short on space or if you are in the middle of summer like us, use a contraption as shown below and shove it in the refrigerator.
After 6 hours, you will end up with this.
The end product is so beautiful. Whisk in powdered sugar, a little cardamom powder or saffron infused milk and you get shrikhand. Chill it well and serve after dinner; it doesn’t get better than that.
Now that we have the basics down, it’s time to make it your own. Drizzle some honey on your shrikhand, top with chopped nuts and/or fruits or fold in some fruit puree. And yes, I used peaches! But just a little amount. The star is the sweetened yogurt, the peaches are there to just add a hint of flavor. Hence the very pale color. You can add more if you want.
Shrikhand is very easy to make as the actual hands-on time and effort needed is minimal.
SHRIKHAND (CARDAMOM & PEACH FLAVORED)
You will need:
- Yogurt – 3 cups (this will yield around 2 cups of hung yogurt)
- Powdered sugar – 1/2 – 3/4 cup (as per taste)
- Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
- Honey or chopped nuts – for topping, optional
- Ripe peach puree – 1/4 cup per cup of hung yogurt
How to:
- Tie the yogurt in a clean muslin, cheesecloth or cotton kitchen towel. Hang it up over the sink or place it on a strainer and allow whey to drain into a bowl below.
- After 6 hours (or overnight), take the hung yogurt in a bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Start with 1/2 cup sugar, taste and add as much sugar as needed.
- To make fruit shrikhand, fold in the fruit puree at the end. Add more sugar if the fruit is slightly tart. (Add more puree for deeper color and flavor.)
- Spoon into serving bowls or glasses. Top with a drizzle of honey, chopped nuts or fruits. Serve chilled.
Notes:
- Use plain Greek yogurt instead of making hung yogurt.
Creamy and thick shrikhand is just what you need for a delicious summer dessert.
Have you made hung yogurt? Do you like yogurt based desserts? Do share.
If you like what you see, please follow my blog via Email (button on the right), Facebook, Pinterest or Bloglovin’, or maybe even all four!!!
I am linking this up at these awesome blogs.
- C.R.A.F.T
- A Blossoming Life
- Skip To My Lou
- The Dedicated House
- Between Naps on the Porch
- Home Stories A To Z
- My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
- A Stroll Thru Life
- Cedar Hill Ranch
- Coastal Charm
- Elizabeth & Co
- House On The Way
- Savvy Southern Style
- The NY Melrose Family
- The Turquoise Home
- Living Well Spending Less
- Design Dining and Diapers
- The Shabby Nest
- French Country Cottage
- My Romantic Home
- The Charm of Home
- Thirty Handmade Days
- Crafts a la Mode
- Love of Family and Home
- The Novice Gardener
- DIY Show Off
- Nifty Thrifty Things
- By Stephanie Lynn
can we use ricotta cheese in place of hung curd for shrikhand ?
Ricotta cheese is different from hung curd in texture and taste. You can try it by all means, but it will not be traditional shrikhand. It will be a ricotta dessert.
Wow Anjana, what a wonderful, flavorful and exotic dessert! Thanks so much for brining this to the party, I have never tried this dessert before, but sounds really delicious! I might do the “cheat way”, as I really like Greek yogurt actually, but if I have more time, the traditional method sounds definitely interesting. Thanks so much for joining FF and hopefully you had lots of fun too! Sylvia
Thank you, Sylvia!
Looks lovely Anjana! The peach must add such refreshing fruitiness to the shrikhand 🙂
Thank you, Naina! Fresh peach shrikhand was really lovely. More than that, I loved making hung curd!
Me too 🙂
So wonderful to learn how to make this dessert. It just looks and sounds so refreshing and summery. I love the addition of fresh peaches here! 😀
Thank you. It really is very versatile, you can add your favorite fruit!
I said several times that learn about other cultures through food is one the reason that pushed me to start my blog! Thanks a lot for sharing this and bring it to FF!
Me too! Therevos so much to learn about foodbfor each one of us, right?!
Thanks for visiting.
Mmmm…. delicious dessert! Have a lovely weekend, Anjana!
Thank you, Ahila! You too!!
Just lovely as always Anjana, the freshness, the simplicity, the photos, your blog inspires me 🙂
I didn’t mean the simplicity of the recipe, I meant just the way the blog comes together, it’s just right.
You are too kind, Loretta! Thanks for the lovely compliment 🙂
Oooo looks so yummy! I just got some nectarines so I might try this with that! Thanks for bringing itbtobthe party! Nice to meet you!
Thank you! I hope you try it this weekend, nectarines would be lovely too.
Oh! So many different delicious things you do with dairy! I love this “hung” recipe. Must try soon, and beautiful with the fruit!
Thank you, Sue! Though you can easily replicate this with Greek yogurt, making hung yogurt is very gratifying!!
Simply Decadent !
Thank you, Prachi!
Mmm, looks so good. Thumbs up for making food from scratch! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
A versatile and delicious dish that is close to my heart, and with peaches…oof, x
Thank you, Deena 🙂
This is awesome Anjana. Never thought of peach shrikhand. Will try it for sure. Love your pictures.
Thank you, Sonal. Happy weekend!
After so many years seeing shrikand.. Wish I can taste them
Do make them over the weekend. It’s perfect for summer!
That looks lovely! What a nice, light, and nutritious dessert for a hot summer day.
Is there a traditional use for the whey that drains off? I have made ricotta cheese and the leftover whey is wonderful as the liquid in bread and pancakes.
Thank you, Sarah! It really is perfect for summer.
Most Indian households still make their own yogurt, buttermilk and paneer (cottage cheese). Whey is used as a starter, to curdle the milk initially. Some people also drink it up with a little salt!
And yes, it can be used in place of water for kneading dough too.
So neat to be introduced to this Anjana! And I loved seeing how you made it!
Thank you, Lori. It is really simple, do try it!