Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a classic dessert of Western India. Plain yogurt is transformed into an aromatic delicacy flavored with saffron and cardamom.

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
Yogurt (home made or store bought) - 3 cups (full fat preferable)
Sugar - 3/4 (or as needed)
Cardomom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron Strands - few (6-7, soaked in 1 tblsp of warm milk)

Optional flavoring ingredients
Sliced/ Chopped nuts (Almonds, Pistachios etc)
Dry Fruits (raisins, cranberries etc)
Chopped Fresh Fruits (mango, apple, pineapple, strawberries, chikoo, cantaloupe, raspberries, blueberries etc)
Mango Pulp
Pieapple Pulp

Directions
1. Take a clean kitchen towel or muslin cloth and put the yogurt in it.
2. Wrap the cloth and tie it. Now hang it or put it on a strainer to drain out all the water content.
3. After a few hours (min 1 hour or even overnight), you will have a thick mass of yogurt left.
Tip :- I usually put the tied cloth in a strainer, add some weight on top, put another vessel at the bottom and leave it in the fridge for a few hours. This way the water gets drained out without the yogurt getting sour.Another advantage is that the yogurt will remain cold and you dont have to chill the shrikhand seperately after making it.
4. Take the thick yogurt in a bowl and add the sugar to it. Whisk with a spoon till the sugar gets dissolved and it becomes creamy.
5. Now mix in the cardomom powder and the saffron milk.
6. The basic shrikhand is ready to serve. This is also called kesar shrikhand. It is best served chilled.

Variations
Shrikhand is very very versatile and you can make any number of variations with it. Here are a few but the possibilities are endless :
- Shrikhand mixed with some mango pulp is popularly known as 'Amarkhand'.
- When fresh fruits are mixed in, the shrikhand is commonly referred to as 'Fruitkhand' or 'Matho'.
- Add in your choice of mixed nuts and fruits with the basic shrikhand to make a 'Mixed Fruit & Nut Shrikhand'.
- You can also mix in any one particular fruit of your choice. Some of the options are mango shrikhand, pineapple shrikhand, apple shrikhand, strawberry shrikhand, blueberry shrikhand, raspberry shrikhand and chikoo shrikhand.
- There are also variations of shrikhand depending on the nuts that you mix in like pista shrikhand (with pistachios), kaju shrikhand (with cashews), badam shrikhand (with almonds).

Serving Suggestions
- This is served as a sidedish with chappatti or poori. It is mostly part of the Maharashtrian and Gujarathi thali.
- It can also be served as a healthy dessert or as a snack.

Nutrition per serving
Calories 278.8
Total Fat 15.5 g
Saturated Fat 3.0 g
Cholesterol 215.1 mg
Sodium 441.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16.5 g
Dietary Fiber 1.8 g
Protein 19.2 g
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 8 points