Shrikhand is a gluten-free Indian dessert made with strained or Greek yogurt. Shrikhand is sweet and tangy in taste, and thick in consistency. It is served as a side dish with Indian meals. Check out how to make authentic shrikhand at home from Greek yogurt made in instant pot.
Step 1: Make Instant pot yogurt (skip to step 2 if using store bought Greek yogurt)
Pour milk in the instant pot container and lock the lid.
Press "yogt" mode until it shows "boil".
Once the cycle is complete, open the lid and remove the container and allow the milk to cool down for about 2 hours until it reaches 115 °F
Whisk the yogurt and add it to the milk and mix well.
Place the container inside the instant pot and lock the lid with release valve in venting position.
Press the "yogt" button until it shows the timer. Adjust it to 10 hours on normal setting.
Yogurt will be ready after 10 hours. Cover and chill the yogurt in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
Step 2: Making Greek yogurt (do this step with store bought Greek yogurt too)
Pour all the yogurt in a nut milk bag or a cheesecloth and line it in a strainer.
Allow all the whey to drip at room temperature for about 12 hours.
Place the yogurt along with cheesecloth and strainer in fridge and continue straining for another 12 hours.
Thick strained or Greek yogurt is ready once no more whey is dripping.
Step 3: Making shrikhand with Greek yogurt
In a mixing bowl, place the strained yogurt and make it smooth with the help of a spoon or spatula.
Add sugar and mix well.
Add cardamom powder and charoli nuts and mix well.
Sprinkle a pinch of saffron strands and chill the mixture for 4-6 hours.
Mix well into a smooth consistency.
Srikhand is ready, garnish it with more pistachios, cardamom powder and some saffron soaked in a teaspoon of milk.
Notes
Tanginess in shrikhand depends on how old the yogurt is. If yogurt is a day or two old then it is best to strain it at room temperature for 12 hours and the remaining 12 hours in the fridge.
If there is less tanginess, you can keep the strained Greek yogurt for a few hours at room temperature before mixing sugar and other ingredients.
Ensure that yogurt is not sour, slight tanginess makes authentic shrikhand.
If you are using store-bought Greek yogurt, after adding sugar, it tends to become a little runny, for best results strain the store-bought Greek yogurt for a few hours before making shrikhand.