Shrikhand recipe | How to make Shrikhand thicker | How to make Shrikhand from scratch using milk

Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a delicious mouth-watering Indian sweet made up of Yogurt(Curd) which is usually called as 'Dahi' in India. Shrikhand is made by straining the curd with a thin cloth or a sieve.

Shrikhand is flavored with  Cardamom, saffron, nutmeg.

You can also add grapes to it to make it more interesting.

People generally eat shrikhand in the summer season as this is made up of curd and Curd already is known for its Summer benefits.

Curd works as a superfood especially when taken in summer. 

Curd is well known for - Immunity Boosting capabilities, Improves cardiovascular health, Improves digestion, strengthens bones, releases anxiety, releases stress, and many more.

That is why Shrikhand can be considered as a Healthy Indian Sweet.

Yes, We add sugar to it but there are various healthy alternatives for sugar too. Just give it a healthy touch and here you go for guilty free eating.... ;)

Shrikhand is a very famous Indian Sweet especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

To make shrikhand first we need to prepare "Chakka" which is easily available in the Indian Market. 

If not available, not a problem. We are here for you.

We will start making shrikhand from scratch.

Ingredients:

1. Milk- 1 1/2  liter


2. Sugar- 750 gram


3. Mixed dry fruits- ½ small bowl


4. Cardamom (Ilaychi) powder – 1 tsp


5. Saffron(Kesar) – 5-6 threads


6. Nutmeg (Jayfal) - a small piece

Steps:

1. Take a pan and add milk to it and boil the milk for 6-7 minutes.


2. When milk is boiled, Remove pan from the flame and keep it aside for few minutes. Allow it to cool till it is Lukewarm.


3. Once the temperature of milk comes down, take a bowl or a vessel in which you want to set the curd. Add the Curd(Dahi) to the bowl. And then Pour the milk on the top of it.
   (Tip: Use full-fat curd for better results) 


4. Cover the bowl using a lid and keep it at a warm place overnight or for at least 7 to 8 hours to get set.


5. In the morning, take a thin cotton cloth. Place the cloth in an empty bowl such that if we pour the curd in it, it should not drip out. The edges with a good amount of cloth should be hanging out of the bowl so that you can easily hold the cloth and make a knot. 


6. Pour the Curd on the cloth such that it should fall out of the bowl.


7. Lift the edges of cloth, twist it a bit to drain excess water from it and tie the knot tightly


8. To make chakka, Hang this cloth with the knot on somewhere for 2-3 hours to remove every single drop of water out of it.
   [If it is not possible for you to hang it, We have an alternative method: Take sieve. Place the sieve on a pot. Keep the cloth having a drained curd(and a 'knot on') on the sieve. Put a very heavy utensil or Clean heavy Stone on the top of the cloth. Let it be like that for 1-2 hours. This method will also drain out every drop of excess water from curd]


9. Once the chakka is completely dry, transfer the chakka in a bowl, add sugar to it and mix it well.


10. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.


11. Take a sieve or a thin cotton cloth, Keep it on the top of a bowl. Just make sure that sieve should properly fit into the bowl.


12. Pour a 2-3 big spoon of this chakka on the sieve.


13. Strain the chakka properly as shown in the following video.


                          


Thick, Creamy, Delicious Shrikhand is ready.

To add flavor to the shrikhand,

1. Take some mixed dry fruits, chop them up and add to the Shrikhand.  Add finely grinded Cardamom powder to the Shrikhand.
   [Tip- If you do not have ready-made Cardamom powder, You can just grind some Cardamom seeds with sugar. Sugar helps to grind it even more finely.]


2. Add a pinch of grated Nutmeg to the shrikhand.


3. Now for the final touch, take 1-2 tbsp of milk and add 4-5 crumbled threads of saffron to the milk. keep it aside for 4-5 minutes. Now, add this saffron milk to the shrikhand. 

To make shrikhand more interesting, You can also add some grapes(not chopped) to the shrikhand according to your taste.

This Tasty shrikhand can be served with Puri(an Indian Bread). Or can be served as a sweet dish.

Serve it chilled.