A delicious and traditional dessert made with fresh, seasonal mangoes, yoghurt and saffron that tastes best chilled on a hot afternoon!
It is the onset of summer in India, meaning it is also the start of mango season! Like I have mentioned in my earlier mango recipe posts, this season is very special. The variety of mangoes one gets to relish is nothing short of dreamy. Every region, north, south, east and west of India has it’s own variety. Fortunately, since Indian mangoes are available here as well, we enjoy the fruit as well as recipes made with them. And one such recipe that we love to bits is mango shrikhand (amrakhand). A chilled bowl of shrikhand on a hot summer afternoon would be the dessert we all looked forward to. This Maharashtrian sweet treat is made with hung yoghurt, fresh mango pulp and sugar. Not only is this a delicious sweet dish, but it is also incredibly easy, make ahead dessert.
The amrakhand is also a no cook recipe. All you will need to do is combine all ingredients together, refrigerate for a few hours and then relish it. The key ingredient here is yoghurt from which all the water (whey) has been drained. While in India you can readily buy “hung” yoghurt (chakka), I make mine at home. It is easy and can be made with any yoghurt that you have available, even home set ones. To do that, tie the yoghurt in a muslin cloth and place it on a sieve, over a bowl, overnight. Keep some weight over the cloth to aid the water to drain. You can also use Greek yoghurt directly and skip the entire process of making chakka.
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While the flavor of seasonal mangoes is primary in the amrakhand, I like adding a bit of cardamom powder and saffron, too. Their subtle fragrances in this creamy, yoghurt based dessert makes it richer. And since this seasonal mangoes are so special, I love garnishing my dessert with them. Mango pulp, fresh mango chunks, chopped pistachios and saffron are my favorite garnishes. Of course, all this is optional but it makes the mango shrikhand look spectacular. Lastly, I have used Alphonso mango pulp to make the shrikhand, but even Kesar mangoes work well.
I know a lot of my friends who love pairing a chilled bowl of shrikhand with hot pooris, too. So, whether you enjoy this tasty, mango speciality as is or with pooris, do make a batch of it this summer. And if you do try my recipe, I’d love to hear your feedback about it. You can share your food pictures with me on Instagram and Pinterest. You could also, share your feedback with me in the comments section below.
Eat hearty!
Mango shrikhand - Amrakhand
Equipment
- muslin cloth/cheese cloth
Ingredients
- 500 g yoghurt
- ½ cup mango pulp
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp saffron strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
Garnish
- 2-3 tbsp mango pulp
- ¼ cup fresh mango chopped
- 2 tbsp pistachios chopped
- saffron strands
Instructions
- Place a muslin cloth over a large sieve and pour the yoghurt in it. Gather the ends together and tie it up. Place some weight over it and a bowl below (to collect the water). Keep in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours*
- When done, remove the drained yoghurt in a bowl. Add the sugar, mango pulp, cardamom powder and saffron milk to it. Use a flat spoon or spatula to fold and mix in all the ingredients - do not whisk or run it in a blender
- When every ingredient is well combined, divide the mango shrikhand in three serving bowls and refrigerate for two to four hours
- Garnish your amrakhand bowls with mango pulp, chopped mangoes, pistachios and saffron strands and serve chilled. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using Greek yoghurt, start from step 2
- Blending or whisking will make the texture of the mango shrikhand not as thick as desired
- I have used Alphonso mangoes for my recipe, even Kesar variety works well
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
