Vegan Shrikhand (with Jaggery)

Shrikhand is a beloved dish in India and is often enjoyed as a cooling dessert after a spicy meal. It is traditionally made with dairy curd. Thankfully, it is one of those recipes that can be veganized easily! All you have to do is replace the dairy curd with a plant-based one and you’re good to go.

I like to use my thick and creamy homemade cashew curd set with agar agar for making shrikhand. You can also use this homemade almond curd or soy curd. I’m sure store-bought vegan curds would also work well though I haven’t tried any myself. Don’t use any peanut-based curds for sweet dishes; the peanut flavor doesn’t go well in desserts.

This shrikhand takes hardly 10 minutes to whip up once you have the hung curd ready. It is so smooth and velvety and tastes divine! You can also make a luscious “fruit cream” dessert by serving a scoop of this shrikhand over a bowl of chopped assorted fruits like mangoes, bananas, grapes, strawberries, and chiku.

Yields 2 medium servings

Time Taken: 10 minutes (active time) + 3 hours (passive time)

1 Indian teacup = 150 ml

Ingredients:

• 5 cups cashew curd/almond curd/soy curd
• 2-3 tablespoons jaggery powder
• A big pinch of green cardamom (choti elaichi) powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped assorted nuts, for garnishing

Method:

1. Line a large mesh strainer with cotton/muslin cheesecloth. Pour in the curd.
2. Bring the four edges of the cloth together and twist gently to drain off the extra whey and make a knot. Place a heavy bowl over it. Now keep the entire thing in the fridge for 4-5 hours.
3. Scoop out the thick “hung” curd into a mixer jar. Add jaggery powder and cardamom powder. Blend on the lowest setting for several seconds till the shrikhand achieves a uniform creamy texture. Adjust the sweetness as you go.
4. Chill for a few hours and serve garnished with chopped nuts.

Tips:

1. Substitute jaggery powder with date paste for a naturally sweetened version.
2. You can use the whey collected to make dals and gravies or to knead the dough for rotis and paratha.