{"id":8506,"date":"2026-10-26T18:39:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T09:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/?post_type=sweetlore&p=8506"},"modified":"2026-10-31T19:10:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T10:10:31","slug":"shrikhand","status":"publish","type":"sweetlore","link":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/en\/sweetlore\/shrikhand\/","title":{"rendered":"Shrikhand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shrikhand is a sweet, tangy milk confection made by draining fermented milk and kneading it with sugar and aromatics. It is popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra in western India, and is served both as a chilled dessert and as one dish in a festive meal. Versions made with cardamom, saffron and nuts are well known, but its rich texture comes from draining fermented milk, not from whipping cream.<\/p>\n

\n\"White\n
Shrikhand at Kastoori in London (2009). The white milk sweet is scattered with crushed nuts and served with a spoon. Photo: Secretlondon \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>. Full-size image obtained. No content alterations or cropping by us.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Fermenting the milk, then draining off the liquid<\/h2>\n

Its base ingredient, dahi, is milk that has undergone lactic acid fermentation. The milk is heated, cooled to a suitable temperature, and then set with a starter culture. During this process, acid produced from the sugar in the milk causes the milk proteins to form a soft curd structure. It resembles chhena in that the milk is coagulated, but the process differs from that of chhena, in which acid is added directly to hot milk.<\/p>\n

The set dahi is transferred to a fine-meshed cloth and hung up, or otherwise drained, so that the whey runs off. The thick mass of milk left in the cloth is chakka. Draining gives it a firmness that holds on a spoon, and kneading sugar into the chakka produces smooth shrikhand. It is made in three stages: fermentation creates the tang and the structure, draining adjusts the thickness, and finally sweetness and aroma are added.<\/p>\n

Once sugar has been added to the chakka, the mixture is kneaded until uniform. Working it so that no lumps remain brings the tang of the fermented milk and the sweetness of the sugar together in each mouthful. Because its basis is a dense structure of milk proteins, its texture differs from that of mousse, which holds its shape with gelatin, and from basundi<\/a>, which is made by simmering milk for a long time to drive off its moisture.<\/p>\n

An old name, and today\u2019s fermented-milk sweet<\/h2>\n

A milk dish called sikharini appears in the 11th-century Kannada text Lokopakara. Compiled by Chavundaraya around 1025, the work is a practical handbook covering cooking, agriculture, perfumery and other subjects. Its preparation is also included in the English translation by Valmiki Sreenivasa Ayangarya, published in 2006.<\/p>\n

In this preparation, curdled milk is combined with cinnamon, dried ginger, black pepper, rock salt, sugarcane jaggery, nutmeg and other ingredients. Myrobalan fruit, lac resin of insect origin, honey and sugarcane juice are also used, and the milk is fumigated so that smoke transfers aroma to it. Finally, edible camphor is added. Rather than ending with simply mixing in powdered ingredients, it layers on aromatization with smoke, which is a major difference from today\u2019s typical shrikhand. It was a dish that combined sweetness and the tang of milk with salt, pungency and multiple aromas.<\/p>\n

The sikharini preparation in this English translation does not explicitly mention draining the chakka, which is central to today\u2019s method. The two share the use of sweet milk, but they differ in the combination of aromatics and in how they are finished. In today\u2019s shrikhand, the central steps are adjusting the thickness and smoothness of the drained fermented milk and combining it with flavorings such as saffron, cardamom and fruit pulp.<\/p>\n

\n\"Shrikhand\n
Rose shrikhand in Pune (17 February 2021). The creator describes it as made with homemade rose syrup and fermented milk. Photo: MeghaJainSrivastava \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Downsized version from Commons obtained. No content alterations or cropping by us.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Different characters with spices, fruit and rose<\/h2>\n

Saffron gives the white milk a pale yellow tint, and cardamom adds aroma. Almonds and pistachios are sometimes scattered in small pieces, bringing a nutty crunch into the evenly kneaded milk. Versions mixed with fruit pulp have also developed, and one made with mango is known as amrakhand.<\/p>\n

Among rose-flavored versions, some are mixed with gulkand, a preserve made by layering petals and sugar. In an example using rose syrup published by a cook, the result is smooth and pale pink. Even within the same chilled milk sweet, distinct characters emerge: the pale yellow of saffron, the pulp of mango, and the fragrance of rose.<\/p>\n

Because the moisture of the fruit pulp is added to the thick drained milk, in fruit versions both the condition of the chakka and the amount of pulp affect the result. Some put the color and sweetness of mango to the fore, while others keep the tang and let the flavor of the milk dominate. The breadth of this sweet lies in using the same fermented-milk base while varying the spices and fruit.<\/p>\n

\n\"Yellow\n
Shrikhand served with pomegranate and pistachios (27 December 2020, location unknown). The photographer\u2019s recipe uses fermented milk, saffron, milk, raisins, rose water and other ingredients. Photo: Helge H\u00f8if\u00f8dt \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Full-size image obtained. No content alterations or cropping by us.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

A sweet milk confection becomes a dish in the meal<\/h2>\n

In Gujarat and Maharashtra, shrikhand is served with puri. Puri are small breads puffed up in oil. This way of eating pairs the texture of warm bread with the cold, smooth milk sweet, so that the sweet is enjoyed with the meal rather than only as a separate dish after it. It also appears as one item in a thali, which holds a variety of dishes.<\/p>\n

It is also associated with festive tables, such as Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year. Production has expanded from a dish made in each household to products manufactured by dairies and sold refrigerated. In today\u2019s dairy industry, instead of hanging the curd in cloth for long periods, methods such as removing the water with a separator or kneading it evenly by machine are also used.<\/p>\n

Glossary<\/h2>\n

Gulkand<\/strong>: A sweet preserve made from rose petals and sugar. Some shrikhand uses it for flavoring.<\/p>

Valmiki Sreenivasa Ayangarya<\/strong>: The translator of the 2006 English translation of Lokopakara.<\/p>

Myrobalan<\/strong>: Here, the fruit of a plant also called haritaki. It is listed as a flavoring ingredient for sikharini in the English translation.<\/p>

Lac resin<\/strong>: A resinous substance produced by lac insects. In the sikharini of the English translation, it is used for fumigation.<\/p>

Fumigation<\/strong>: Transferring aroma to food or vessels with the smoke of smoldering ingredients.<\/p>

Camphor<\/strong>: A strongly aromatic substance. In the English translation discussed in the text, an edible form is added at the finish.<\/p>

Lokopakara<\/strong>: A practical handbook compiled in Kannada in the 11th century. It covers a wide range of skills, including cooking.<\/p>

Chavundaraya<\/strong>: The author of Lokopakara, c. 1025. He is also referred to as \u201cII\u201d to distinguish him from an earlier person of the same name.<\/p>

Jaggery<\/strong>: A minimally refined sugar. It is also listed among the ingredients of the old sikharini.<\/p>

Dahi<\/strong>: Indian fermented milk made by lactic acid fermentation of milk.<\/p>

Whey<\/strong>: The liquid that separates from milk curds. It runs out through the cloth during draining.<\/p>

Chakka<\/strong>: The thick mass of milk obtained by draining dahi. It is the base of shrikhand.<\/p>

Basundi<\/strong>: A milk sweet made by simmering milk down and adding sweetness and aromatics.<\/p>

Amrakhand<\/strong>: A type of shrikhand with mango added.<\/p>

Puri<\/strong>: A small bread made by deep-frying dough in oil so that it puffs up.<\/p>

Thali<\/strong>: A tray on which dishes are arranged, or a meal served in that form.<\/p>

Gudi Padwa<\/strong>: A New Year festival celebrated in Maharashtra.<\/p>

Sikharini<\/strong>: The name of a sweet fermented-milk dish found in old Indian texts. Its preparation is also included in the 2006 English translation of Lokopakara.<\/p>

References<\/h2>\n
  1. National Dairy Development Board, \u201cFermented Dairy Products\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Draining fermented milk, regions, festive meals and mechanization.<\/li>
  2. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, \u201cValue Added Products\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Fermentation and draining of dahi, chakka, sugar and flavorings.<\/li>
  3. Lokopakara, English translation by Valmiki Sreenivasa Ayangarya, p. 43<\/a> \u2014 Ingredients and fumigation of sikharini in the 2006 English translation. The original Old Kannada manuscript was not consulted.<\/li>
  4. Karnataka Itihasa Academy, \u201cNotable Source Book Lokopakara\u201d<\/a> \u2014 The author and bibliographic details, c. 1025.<\/li>
  5. Maharashtra Tourism, \u201cGudi Padwa\u201d<\/a> \u2014 The New Year festival and shrikhand.<\/li>
  6. TASTE, \u201cYogurt Worth Celebrating\u201d<\/a> \u2014 A cook\u2019s household, puri, and mango and rose examples.<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Shrikhand is a sweet, tangy milk confection made by draining fermented milk and kneading it with sugar and aromatics. It is popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra in western India, and is served both as a chilled dessert and as one dish in a festive meal. Versions made with cardamom, saffron and nuts are well known, but the starting point of its richness lies in draining fermented milk, not in whipping cream.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7594,"menu_order":277,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_parade_sweetlore_meta":{"en":"Shrikhand","subtitle":"Fermenting the milk, then draining off the liquid","topics":"Draining fermented milk and kneading it with sugar\uff0fFlavors that change with spices and fruit\uff0fA table where it is eaten with fried bread","country":"India \u00b7 Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states","show_toc":true,"ingredients":["cream"],"texture":[],"occasion":[],"method":["fermented"],"season":[]},"footnotes":""},"sweetlore_category":[164],"class_list":["post-8506","sweetlore","type-sweetlore","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"sweetlore_related_products":null,"sweetlore_related_faqs":null,"sweetlore_related_voices":null,"sweetlore_related_mode":"auto","sweetlore_related_articles":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t