🍮 Shrikhand
Also known as: shikharini, amrakhand
A sweet dessert of strained dahi (chakka) with sugar and spices, traditional in western India.
Shrikhand is an Indian sweet dessert made from strained dahi: sweet and tangy, creamy, rather like sweetened quark. It is traditionally made at home in western India; in Nepal a similar product is called sikarni. The name comes from the Sanskrit word shikharini.
The dahi is placed in muslin cloth and the whey is drained off for 4–8 hours. The firm mass that remains is chakka, which is mixed with sugar, spices and flavorings. The industrial method of making chakka and shrikhand was developed by the National Dairy Development Board of India. If shrikhand is cooked down over an open fire for a long time until it becomes solid, the result is shrikhand wadi, with only 5–6% moisture and 63–65% sugar.
In India, shrikhand has an official FSSAI standard. It is a semi-solid concentrated milk product made from chakka with milk fat and sugar; permitted non-dairy ingredients such as fruit, nuts and spices may be added. Shrikhand has to contain at least 58% total solids, and sucrose may make up no more than 72.5% of the dry matter. The Codex Alimentarius classes strained yogurt as a concentrated fermented milk.
Shrikhand or Greek yogurt? Searches often pit it against yogurt, mishti doi and other Indian sweets. Strained yogurt is only the starting point: shrikhand is made of chakka, the firm mass left after draining dahi for 4–8 hours, and then sweetened with sugar and spices. India’s FSSAI standard asks for at least 58% total solids, and sucrose may reach 72.5% of the dry matter, so it behaves as a sweet, not a yogurt.
Look for the name “shrikhand” (sometimes with a flavour word added) and the description as a sweet dairy dessert; a pack made in India may mention the FSSAI standard. It is a chilled product, so search the refrigerated shelf of an Indian or South Asian grocery, or the world-food section of a larger supermarket. Check the date, and keep it in the refrigerator after opening.
Why it matters to you. Shrikhand is first and foremost a sweet: up to three quarters of its dry matter can be sugar, so it is a dessert, not a substitute for yogurt. FSSAI requires the milk for dahi and chakka to be heat-treated before fermentation. At home, you can make a similar dessert from strained plain yogurt with sugar and spices. Keep shrikhand in the refrigerator and check the date on the pack.
How it connects to milk
🍮 Shrikhand → made from → 🥛 Cow's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Made from
- 🥛 Cow's milk, 🥛 Buffalo milk, 🥣 Dahi
- How it is made
- 🔄 Fermentation, 🔄 Filtration
- Where it is traditional
- 🌍 South Asia
- Which peoples make it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Marathi, 🧑🤝🧑 Gujaratis
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🍦 Dairy desserts
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that shrikhand is just sweet yogurt?
No. Strained yogurt is only the starting point: shrikhand is made of chakka, the firm mass left after draining dahi for 4–8 hours, then sweetened with sugar and spices.
Is shrikhand the same as Greek yogurt?
No. India’s FSSAI standard asks for at least 58 % total solids and allows sucrose up to 72.5 % of the dry matter, so it behaves as a sweet, not a yogurt.
How can you make a similar dessert at home?
From strained plain yogurt with sugar and spices.
What happens if shrikhand is cooked down for long?
Shrikhand cooked down over an open fire until solid, with only 5–6 % moisture and 63–65 % sugar.
Where can you buy shrikhand in the UK or US?
On the refrigerated shelf of an Indian or South Asian grocery, or in the world-food section of a larger supermarket.
What to read next
- 🌍 South Asia — The Indian subcontinent between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean: a third of the world's milk, buffaloes and zebu, ghee, dahi, chhena.
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Marathi — A people of the Indian state of Maharashtra; dairy traditions of western India include shrikhand, chhaas and kadhi, and festivals feature dahi handi.
- 🔄 Filtration — Removing impurities from milk: on the farm, a sieve or filter before the tank; at the dairy plant, a mesh filter, a clarifier and membranes that hold back even bacteria.
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products — Products made for centuries to folk recipes: fermenting, cheesemaking, slow baking, drying. Tied to regions and peoples.
Similar
🥣 Dahi · 🍨 Kulfi · 🧈 Ghee · ⚪ Rasgulla · 🍮 Double skin milk · 🧀 Curd snack
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- FAO. The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries (1990), ch. IV
- FSSAI (India). Revised standards for milk and milk products: 2.1.13 Fermented milk products, 2.1.14 Ice cream (2017)
- Codex Alimentarius. Standard for Fermented Milks (CXS 243-2003)