![Gulab Jamun](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/10/19/multimedia/ND-Gulab-Jamun-tqgl/ND-Gulab-Jamun-tqgl-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Gulab Jamun
Naz Deravian
72 ratings with an average rating of 3 out of 5 stars
72
5 hours 45 minutes
Advertisement
Put yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Let excess whey strain for 24 hours.
Transfer yogurt to a large mixing bowl, and gently stir in sugar, pistachios, saffron and cardamom. When they are combined, transfer mixture into a serving dish, using an offset spatula to smooth out the top. Evenly sprinkle reserved pistachios and pinch of saffron over the top, and chill for an hour before serving. Shrikhand will keep covered in the fridge for a few days (though the pistachios will soften).
I put lots of newspappers and spread yogurt on bedsheet.cover the yogurt till you see that there is no water. i never use confectionary sugar since it has cornstarch in it. the ratio for perfect shrikhand is 2 cups of strained yogurt to 1 cup of sugar. i pass it through the food mill. add 1/4 cup of heavy cream to it. yogurt has a tendancy to keep getting sour and heavy cream stops that process. add 1/4 tsp cardamom powder. serve it with hot puris.
I crush the saffron with a teaspoon of sugar. The sugar helps the saffron get powdered very finely, very quickly. For savory dishes I grind it with a bit of salt. I like it better this way than having saffron threads in the dish.
Traditional shrikhad ia made up with straind whole milk yogurt, sugar and cardamom powder. to make it look more impresive safron and pistachio as a garnish was added. we started making mango shrikhand with fresh chopped mango in it.
Drink the whey. It is a natural source of protein, good for dieters, the lactose intolerant, babies, the immune system, allergies... Whey powder is so marketed, and expensive. But whey seeps naturally out of ordinary yoghurt when a big container is stored in the refrigerator, and can be poured off to drink as it collects. Straining any yoghurt (line the strainer with a strong paper towel) will give you a lot, free. And it tastes great!
To My experience greek yogurt is always on a sour side. so I generally make my own yogurt . Otherwise i strained 2 containers of Stoneyfield wholemilk yogurt . After straing you will get 1 container worth quantity.
Another shortcut: try using lebneh instead of yogurt. It tastes like the real deal in a fraction of the time.
Newspaper taste and color will seep through the shrikhand. Use muslin cloth instead.
Nutmeg powder is more traditional instead of cardamom powder in some parts of India.
Glad to see this recipe from western India where I grew up. We prepare this often during festivals. It is sweetened yogurt that is commonly prepared in two different flavors - saffron and mango. Mango flavored variation is called amrakhand. Here are our family recipes from my website -
http://uma.kitchen/2015/03/shrikhand-sweet-saffron-flavored-yogurt/
http://uma.kitchen/2015/10/amrakhand-recipe/
Delicious!! By the time I strained 32 oz of full-fat yogurt, I had max 2-1/2 cups left. I noted that some commenters suggested using much less sugar, so I started out with 1/4 cup, then added another 1/4 cup. 1/2 cup was plenty. And it tasted better he second day, I think because the cornstarch taste from the confectioner's sugar had dissipated. I'm going to try pulverizing granulated sugar in the food processor to see how that affects he taste. And add some rosewater.
Yum!
I used Fage Greek 0%, so no need to strain.
Recipe calls for waaay too much sugar for my taste. half it or try drizzling agave to taste.
I liked the mint suggestion and also added a bit of orange zest.
Nice light summer dessert after a wide variety of Mediterranean meals.
Bon appetit!
I also agree with Hildari, start with 1/4 tsp Saffron and see how you like it. Besides the expense, that 1 tsp plus of saffron might be really overpowering.
As I was told in 1979 by my friend Lakkuman, when i over did the clove and cinnamon in a Korma, "you want the smell of clove, not the taste of it."
Shrikand means, you want the taste of yogurt with the aroma of saffron, like pepper on an egg if you will.
I started with Greek yogurt, but strained it for several hours as I do for Tzatziki. I use a coffee filter in a strainer and it made it quite thick. My saffron is a few years old from the souq in Dubai, so I made a quarter cup of hot milk to steep it in to get some good flavor and mild yellow color. Loved the idea of mango so I plated with long slices of mango and a sprig of mint. My Yogi mother-in-law had seconds, but she's a great gormandizer at my table.
Yes, shreekhand can be made with less sugar than shown here. Vary the amount of sugar and experiment. Start with much less sugar (say, 1/2 the quantity) then taste and add more as liked. You could also try a mix of regular sugar and artificial sweetener.
Stef Morgan's reply is confusing shreekhand (a dessert) with raita (a savory side). They are two different dishes, though both start with yogurt. For raita, the yogurt need not be drained, and saffron, nuts, and cardamom are not used.
Best yogurt strainer is a coffee filter. Fits just right in wire sieve.
For the vegan and the lactose intolerant out there, I made this with coconut milk yogurt. After sitting it for 24 hours in a cheesecloth in a strainer, I found that there was absolutely no liquid in the bowl. (I know, this could betray my ignorance about non-dairy yogurts). But it did thicken, I don't know how. The flavor really intensified after sitting it in the fridge for an hour after mixing in the saffron and cardamom. I crushed some pistachios to give it extra flavor. Delicious!
If you use labneh easily available at any middle eastern store instead of yogurt you can make shrikand instantly without waiting for 24 hours strain of yogurt
i know this is all about DIY but Kalustyan's sells a frozen Shrikand which is divine- ingredients are just: skim milk,sugar,cardamom and active yogurt cultures
Have made this a few times and it is always delicious. Other than cutting down the powdered sugar just a bit, I follow the directions and it comes out GREAT each time. Add the pistachios at the last possible minute because they do become somewhat soft after sitting in the yogurt- a great excuse to eat lots or have a crowed for dinner.
I made this to my taste, with the following tweaks: I added 2/3 cup pistachios, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon of cardamom, and half a teaspoon of saffron. Next time I might also add a little rose water. Yummy and different!
Here's my version for breakfast, just the right sweetness. Add blueberries, strawberries, peaches etc. at as you like. Blueberries and lemon are one of those magical combinations. Mix together in a large bowl: 1 24 oz. tub whole fat yogurt 1/2 c. real maple syrup 1 tsp. ground cardamom 1 tsp. lemon extract zest from 1 lemon or 1/2 an orange Pour the ingredients back into the yogurt container.
The yogurt to sugar ratio is way to high here. If I made this again, I would substitute cane sugar for the confectionary sugar and cut it in half.
I usually sweeten with maple syrup. Since yogurt now comes in 24 oz. containers instead of 32, I'll be starting with 1/3 cup maple syrup and adjusting if necessary. The pepitas I usually buy raw and then easily toast myself for a couple of minutes in a dry pan are much more flavorrful than any pistachios available here, which are also oversalted. I'll be having this lovely dish for breakfast with fruit added. Love the mango!
I make shrikhand often. I use a salad spinner basket with some canned goods on top of the yogurt wrapped in cheesecloth/tea towel to drain the whey.
I made it with Fage 5% full fat Greek yogurt.
I'm not sure, but I think my yogurt is fairly sour. Since they vary, it's probably hard to be certain about how much sugar to add. How sweet should the shrikhand be? I've never had it before. Should it still taste a bit sour-sweet and tangy, or should it just taste sweet?
Regarding the powdered sugar/cornstarch issue, it is possible to find organic powdered sugar that is just sugar. In southern California, I buy the O'Organics brand at the Albertsons stores, Safeway, Vons and Pavilions.
We just grind our sugar in a spice/coffee grinder! :-)
Can one use honey instead of sugar?
Honey is very thick and therefore hard to stir into yogurt. Try maple syrup.
If not eating all at once, don't put nuts in until serving so they stay crunchy.
Replacing sugar with honey?
What is the swirl on top in the picture? I don't see any syrup or honey in the recipe.
It comes from the saffron strands, which release the orange color around. It doesn't typically look like this - this was artistically touched to take a better photo. In reality it usually ends up mixing into an even color
Advertisement