Raspberry Shrikhand

Shrikhand is an Indian dessert made of strained yogurt. It is one of the main desserts in Maharashtrian cuisine and Gujarati cuisine.The yogurt is tied and hung until all the water has drained off, the result being a thick and creamy yogurt. Dried and fresh fruit such as mango are also added. Other ingredients include sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron. Shrikhand is popular in western India.


The dish is prepared by placing the strained yogurt and sugar in a deep bowl and mixing it thoroughly. The cardamom powder and saffron are then added and mixed. The dish is served chilled. In Gujarati cuisine, shrikhand is eaten as either a side-dish with breads such as
poori , or as a desert. It is commonly served as part of a vegetarian thali in Gujarati restaurants and it is very popular as part of wedding feasts. It is often served chilled and provides a refreshing counterpoint to hot and spicy curries.
(Source:Wikipedia)

I like shrikhand but only in small quantities. It is a little too sweet for my taste, especially the store-bought ones. In spite of the fact that I’ve lived a major chunk of my life in Mumbai, I have had this Maharashtrian favorite only on a couple of occasions.

Since we’re focusing on raspberries this month for A Fruit A Month, I decided to make my shrikhand using raspberries. This recipe that I came across a few days back was my inspiration.


For tips on how to strain yogurt, see here or here.

I used 2 coffee filters placed inside a strainer kept over a bowl (to catch the whey that drained off), to get the job done. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours at least (overnight for best results). I started getting impatient after 2 hours and went ahead and started preparing the shrikhand.

Ingredients:
(For 1 regular serving/ 2 small servings)
½ cup drained, thick yogurt (obtained by straining a little more than a cup of low-fat yogurt for 2 hours)
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp powdered sugar (adjust according to taste)
20-25 raspberries (puréed and strained)
A pinch of cardamom powder
A pinch of salt
A few slivered almonds

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together. That’s all!

Chill before serving. Top with almonds and raspberries.


The raspberries paired very well with the yogurt to make an easy and delicious dessert that’s healthy too.

Notes:
While 2 hours of straining the yogurt did give me a shrikhand which was nice and thick, I would like to make it “properly” the next time by leaving it overnight for a richer and creamier texture. I might even just go for Greek yogurt and skip the step of straining the yogurt altogether. :D

The batch of raspberries I had were a little too tart and I had to add some sugar in addition to the honey.


I am going to try my hand at Amrakhand (shrikhand flavored using mango pulp) very soon.

This yummy dessert is going to:
Dee of Ammalu’s Kitchen for AFAM: Raspberry
Easycrafts of Simple Indian Food for the Think Cardamom event
Susan of Food Blogga for Beautiful Bones


I also just wanted to mention very quickly that Easycrafts has kindly passed this onto to me. Thank you!