Shrikhand with saffron and cardamom
Yogurt strained for hours until it becomes a thick cream, sweetened and scented with saffron and cardamom. Fresh, tangy and sweet at once, served by the spoonful in a thali bowl or eaten with warm bread.
Yogurt strained for hours until it becomes a thick cream, sweetened and scented with saffron and cardamom. Fresh, tangy and sweet at once, served by the spoonful in a thali bowl or eaten with warm bread.
Regarde cette couleur : un jaune qui n'éclaire pas par la surface mais semble venir du fond du bol, comme si la lumière était prisonnière du lait. Petit, je trempais le doigt dans le shrikhand de safran et je comprenais déjà, sans le savoir, ce que serait toute mon œuvre — un pigment si saturé qu'il avale le regard. C'est une douceur patiente : il faut laisser le yaourt s'égoutter une nuit entière, perdre son eau, se concentrer en matière pure. La cardamome, elle, arrive à la fin, comme une note tenue.
- •Whole-milk yogurt (dahi) — a large bowl (base, to be strained)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- •Saffron — a few threads (color and flavor (signature))
- •Cardamom — a pinch, ground (flavor)
- •Pistachios or almonds — a few (crunchy garnish)
Shrikhand with saffron and cardamom
Yogurt strained for hours until it becomes a thick cream, sweetened and scented with saffron and cardamom. Fresh, tangy and sweet at once, served by the spoonful in a thali bowl or eaten with warm bread.
Why this dish? Shrikhand is an iconic sweet of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the regions of Bombay where Kapoor grew up. Strained yogurt, sugar, saffron: a dense, full yellow color, like pigment straight from the pot — exactly the colored matter the sculptor has spent his life exploring.
Regarde cette couleur : un jaune qui n'éclaire pas par la surface mais semble venir du fond du bol, comme si la lumière était prisonnière du lait. Petit, je trempais le doigt dans le shrikhand de safran et je comprenais déjà, sans le savoir, ce que serait toute mon œuvre — un pigment si saturé qu'il avale le regard. C'est une douceur patiente : il faut laisser le yaourt s'égoutter une nuit entière, perdre son eau, se concentrer en matière pure. La cardamome, elle, arrive à la fin, comme une note tenue.
Ingredients (period version)
- Whole-milk yogurt (dahi) — a large bowl (base, to be strained)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- Saffron — a few threads (color and flavor (signature))
- Cardamom — a pinch, ground (flavor)
- Pistachios or almonds — a few (crunchy garnish)
Ingredients
- Whole Greek yogurt — 500 g (base, to be strained)
- Icing sugar — 80 g (adjust to taste) (sweetness)
- Saffron — 1 pinch infused in 1 tbsp warm milk (color and flavor (signature))
- Ground green cardamom — 1/4 tsp (flavor)
- Unsalted pistachios — 1 handful, crushed (garnish)
Method
- Pour the yogurt into a cheesecloth over a bowl and let it drain in the fridge overnight (or at least 4-5 hours).
- Collect the thickened yogurt (chakka) in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the icing sugar, infused saffron and cardamom, and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness.
- Spoon into small bowls, sprinkle with pistachios and keep chilled until serving.
How it was made : Shrikhand is mentioned under related names in ancient Indian culinary texts; it was traditionally made by hanging yogurt in a cloth to drain off the whey. In Maharashtra, it traditionally accompanies puran poli on festive days.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a mirror-glazed bowl or a reflective half-sphere — the shrikhand becomes a disc of yellow pigment, a tasty nod to Kapoor's concave mirrors.
Sources : Pushpesh Pant, India: The Cookbook, Phaidon, 2010 · K. T. Achaya, Indian Food: A Historical Companion, Oxford University Press, 1994
Anish Kapoor · Charactorium
