Bhatia Shrikhand (Hung-Curd Sweet)

About this recipe

Shrikhand is the festival sweet a Bhatia kitchen makes a day ahead—thick, yoghurt-based, impossibly smooth, flavoured with cardamom, saffron and the time it took to strain. The whole art lives in the patience of hanging the curd overnight in muslin cloth until the whey drains completely and what remains is dense as cream cheese. Rush the straining and shrikhand stays loose and weeps; be patient and you'll have something worthy of special occasions. The hung curd should be beaten with sugar, saffron bloomed in warm milk, and cardamom powder until it's completely silky—no grittiness, no lumps. This is not a five-minute job; it takes five to seven minutes of steady whisking to achieve that texture. The cardamom should be freshly ground from pods, not pre-ground, and the saffron threads should be visible in the finished dish, glowing threads of red-gold against the pale cream. The contrast of temperature is the tradition itself: shrikhand served ice-cold with hot poori straight off the oil, that shock of cold sweetness against warm, pillowy fried bread. It's an antidote to the savoury richness of the savoury courses. Small portions only—this is intensely rich, a few spoonfuls of profound satisfaction rather than a large bowl. Make this a full day ahead; chilling overnight deepens the cardamom and saffron flavours considerably. Top with sliced pistachios and almonds just before serving. It keeps five days in the fridge, but never makes it that long. This is the dish that gets whispered about for weeks after a festival.