Shriya's Almond & Saffron Vegan Shrikhand

Friday, September 06, 2013 almonds , cashews , cholesterol free , cold , dessert , diwali , easy , gluten free , gujarati , holidays / festivals , indian , marathi , pistachio , saffron , soy free , sweet , tutorial , vegan , Vegan MoFo , vegetarian 7 Comments

I am so excited for the debut post from my sister from another mother (also my husband's cousin), Shriya. I am always thinking about the time she stayed with us for two weeks and we had so much fun sharing laughs and cooking together. She knows a lot of great tips because she studied Hotel Management in India. In India the word hotel means both restaurant and the place you stay when you are on vacation, so she learned a lot about cooking and catering in her classes. Without further ado, here is a little background and a great tutorial from one of my favorite people in the world!!

This is one of my favorite Indian desserts. Shrikhand always takes me to my childhood and I remember the golden time I spent with my family, my uncles, aunts and wonderful cousins! Shrikhand is also special to me because it is the first Indian dessert I made for my husband the first time after we got married (when I was trying to learn to cook.)

This recipe requires some preparation in advance, but it is simple to make. It is a dessert popular in Marathi and Gujarati cuisine, made of strained yogurt. It can also be eaten as a side dish with Indian breads like poori. This is a lighter, healthier, dairy-free version of the typical Shrikhand. It has no cholesterol and is low fat.

Ingredients:

2 large containers Plain Almond Milk Yogurt (about 48 ounces or 1,360 grams)

1 1/2 Cups Confectioners Sugar / Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar), or to taste depending on the sweetness of your yogurt Note: Do not use regular sugar or homemade powdered sugar. 

Saffron (about 25 strands)
1 - 2 Tbsp. Almond Milk

1/4 tsp. Cardamom Powder or Nutmeg Powder, optional (Use either one, do not use both)

3 - 4 Tbsp Almond and Cashew pieces, or to taste

Pistachios, for garnish

Method:
1. Tie the almond milk yogurt in a muslin cloth. Hang the tied ball for draining water. (Hanging from the faucet and draining over a sink is best.) Keep it overnight. The strained yogurt is known as Chakka.

2. Dry roast the saffron on low heat until you can start to smell it (it should take less than a minute.) This will help you get the maximum color from the saffron.

3. Add the saffron to warm almond milk. Soak it for 1-2 hours. 

Before

After 1 - 2 hours

 4. After taking out all the water from the yogurt, pass it through the kitchen strainer for a smooth texture.

5. Mix it with a spatula.

6. Add confectioners sugar, optional cardamom or nutmeg, saffron mixture, and mix well with a spatula.

7. Mix in almonds and cashews, reserving some for garnish. 

8. Put in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

9. Garnish with pistachios and other remaining nuts.

We hope you enjoy this taste of India!