Desserts

Saffron Shrikhand

Name: Saffron Shrikhand
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 cups thick yogurt (hung 4–6 hours to strain); ½ cup powdered sugar, to taste; 10 Baby Saffron threads; ½ tsp cardamom powder; Slivered pistachios and almonds, to garnish

A Maharashtrian and Gujarati favourite — hung yogurt whipped smooth with sugar, cardamom and saffron. Rich, cool and elegant, traditionally served with warm puris.

A bowl of golden saffron shrikhand topped with pistachios

15m

Prep

Cook

Serves

Easy

Level

Ingredients

3 cups thick yogurt (hung 4–6 hours to strain)
½ cup powdered sugar, to taste
10 Baby Saffron threads
½ tsp cardamom powder
Slivered pistachios and almonds, to garnish

Method

1
Hang the yogurt in a muslin cloth for 4–6 hours (or overnight) until thick and firm.
2
Bloom the saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk for 10 minutes.
3
Whisk the strained yogurt with the sugar and cardamom until completely smooth.
4
Fold in the bloomed saffron, chill for at least an hour, and serve topped with slivered nuts.

The saffron tip

Fold the bloomed saffron in at the end and let the shrikhand chill for an hour — the colour and aroma deepen as it rests.