Shrikhand, Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand recipe with step by step photos
How to make Shrikhand-
To make the Shrikhand | Kesar Eliachi Shrikhand | we will first keep all the ingredients ready. Here we have curd, powdered sugar, kesar, warm milk and elaichi powder. We also have pistachio and almond slivers for garnish.
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First step is to take a deep bowl or patila and place a strainer over it.
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Place a clean muslin cloth over it. You can either use muslin cloth or a thin cheesecloth for this purpose.
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Put the 3 1/2 cups curd in the strainer. We have used thick curd which is made with full fat milk. You can buy the curd from a store or you can learn how to make curd with full fat milk. Using thick curd gives a creamier shrikhand. Make sure to use fresh curd and not a sour one or else the shrikhand will be sour.
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Bring together the sides of the muslin cloth.
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Tie a tight knot with the edges.
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Hang this dahi, preferably in a cool place, over a bowl, and let it stay that way for at least 2-3 hours. This is to remove the whey from the dahi. This whey (liquid) is what makes the curd loose and watery. Once removed, the curd will be super thick and creamy.
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Alternately, if you do not want to hang it, put the muslin cloth with curd in a strainer over a bowl and put some weight on it to release the whey. If you are using this method, make sure there is enough distance between the strainer and the bowl so that the collected whey does not come in contact with the curd.
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This is what the curd will look like after 3 hours. This is called Hung Curd or Chakka Dahi. If your curd is not thick, you might have to keep it hanging for longer. Some people even hang it overnight. 3 1/2 cups of thick curd resulted in approximately 2 cups of hung curd. Keep aside.
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Do not throw away the whey, it is high in protein and hence can be used to make smoothies or soups like Whey soup.
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Put the warm milk in a small bowl.
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Add the saffron strands to it.
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Rub the saffron strands into the milk till it dissolves. This is what will give the color and flavor to this Kesar Eliachi Shrikhand. Keep aside for 5-10 minutes for the color to come.
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Put the hung curd in a deep bowl.
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Now add the sugar to this. We have used powdered sugar here as it is easier to dissolve and mix. We have only added 1/2 cup of sugar to this but if you want, you can add a little more.
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Add the saffron-milk mixture to this. You can see that the milk is not a beautiful yellow color.
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We will finally add cardamom to this. Kesar and elaichi together is one of the best combinations for Indian sweets. These spices, combined with hung curd and sugar, make an irresistible Kesar Eliachi Shrikhand.
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Combine Kesar Eliachi Shrikhand well with a whisk till everything is mixed well and there are no lumps remaining.
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Garnish Kesar Eliachi Shrikhand with almond and pistachio slivers.
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Serve Kesar Eliachi Shrikhand chilled alongside hot puris or plain parathas.
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