Amrakhand | Mango Shrikhand Recipe

 

Amrakhand ~ Mango Shrikhand taste of India

Plain curd, in any form or blended with anything, always tastes good. If you are in the East, you will always talk about mishit doi. If you are in the West, it is still Shrikhand, Amrakhand, Mango Shrikhand, or a multiple-fruit mix Shrikhand.

 It is the best combination of mango, hung curd or yoghurt, sugar, saffron strands, and cardamom powder. To enhance its flavour, you can top it with chopped cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, and more.

History of Amrakhand Mango Shrikhand

India's world-famous traditional curd is a base cuisine that is globally known for its excellent taste. These always can't stop you from eating one more bowl and please your pallets and palate buds.

 Shrikhand, the origin of the Indian Subcontinent, is called shrikhand.

Per the book The Historical Dictionary of Indian Food by our experienced food historian, Mr. KT Acharya. 

Shrikhand is a modified version of Shigran in Marathi, Shikran, or Shikrani in Gujarati. It has been mentioned since before 500 BC. 

Shrikhand is one of the oldest desserts in Indian history. 

Its roots are in the Mahabharata. Ancient stories say that Bhim, who was working in the kitchen during their Van, invented a recipe using hung curd, which was Lord Shri Krishna's favourite food. Hence, he named it Shrikhand. 

Another reference says that Shrikhand mentions the Bajirao Peshwa kitchen (Mudpaak Khana मुदपाक खाना).

There are also references in ancient Gujarati-Jain literature from the 7th to 14th century A.D, such as Shikharini (shrikhand).

Amrakhand is a fermented dessert prepared from hung curd or yoghurt. It is a popular traditional Indian dessert. An excellent tongue twister is the best super-cool dessert during a meal in scorching summer and all seasons.

Since Alphonso Mango is loaded with a creamy, buttery, sweet taste, Mango Pulp has a tender and delicate texture, little or non-fibrous fruit, and soft and sweet juicy pulp.

Since then, if you blend mango with hung curd (chakka in Marathi) or hung yoghurt, saffron strands, ground cardamom powder, sugar, or ice cubes known as Mango shrikhand.

 Alphonso Mango is loaded with a creamy taste and goes very well with Mango amrakhand. 

Mango Pulp has a tender and delicate texture, little or non-fibrous fruit, and sweet and tangy juicy pulp.

Amrakhand Recipe / Mango Shrikhand Recipe

It has multiple variants in Mango Shrikhand, like

1. Mango Shrikhand with ripe Alphonso mango – ripe mango
2. Mango Shrikhand with canned mango pulp
3. Mango Shrikhand with sweetened mango pulp
4. Mango Shrikhand with low-fat cream curd
5. Mango Shrikhand with vegan curd

You can choose ripe mangoes. Here, I have used Ripe Alphonso Mango, which is very low in fibre. You may also use Kesar mango pulp, but it is a bit fibrous, which might change the taste and colour of the amrakhand. 

For any shrikhand, know the one-thumb rule: always use fresh homemade curd or yoghurt.

Hung the curd overnight in the muslin cloth and hang it on a hook in the kitchen somewhere, as the whey is a rich nutrient, and you can use the same for making Piyush, a Marathi sweet drink from the whey of hung curd.

For the best result, hang the curd for 12 to 14 hours. This removes all the whey water and makes it slightly thicker.

Ingredients

1. You can peel three to four Alphonso mangoes and chop them into cubes, which will yield nearly two to two and a half cups of Alphonso mango cubes.
2. As an alternate, you can use our Alphonso Mango pulp if it is offseason.
3. More health-conscious people have two to three tablespoons of malai (fresh cream) and can avoid it if required.
4. Hung Yogurt or Hung curd, called Chakka in Marathi nearly two to three cups (means almost 500 grams)
5. Grounded cardamom powder half teaspoon
6. Add sugar, jaggery, honey, stevia, or Palm sugar according to your taste and choice. Alphonso mangoes are generally a sweet delight. Still, you can use three to five tablespoons of sugar.
7. For garnishing, add chopped cashew nuts, saffron strands, almonds (Badam), walnuts (akhrot), Anjeer (fig), and mint leaves.
8. Add a pinch of Kesar (Saffron) strands for taste.

How to Make Amrakhand

• First, smash the alphonso mango cubes in a mixer, grinder, or bowl with a spoon to make a puree. This gives the puree a chunky taste and feel.
• Now add the fresh cream first and get it blended with mango puree. It could also be a tasty dessert as it becomes Alphonso Mango cream like what you get in Mahabaleshwar Strawberry cream. You can try this once this summer. A heavenly delight for your complete family).
• Add chilled hung curd chakka in the same mix with some ice cubes; blend it for some seconds until it becomes a mix-like preparation with a thick consistency.
• Add sugar, jaggery, honey, stevia, or Palm sugar according to your taste and choice. Alphonso mangoes are generally a sweet delight. Still, you can use three to five tablespoons of sugar. Blend it for four to five minutes.
• Sprinkle a pinch of grounded cardamom powder.
• Serve mango Shrikhand in a small bowl. Garnish with saffron strands, chopped cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, Anjeer, dried rose petals, and mint leaves. You can choose and change the dry fruits to suit your taste.
• You can add more mangoes or pulp if you need a thin consistency.

How to Make Mango Shrikhand with Mango Pulp

You need to replace step 1 in the ingredients list, where you can add mango pulp instead of ripe mango or Alphonso Mango. This Shrikhand can be prepared in all seasons, preferably after summer, during the winter, and during rainy seasons.

How to Make Mango Shrikhand with Vegan Curd

You can buy ready vegan curd or search for any dairy-free recipe, like smooth vegan lemon curd. Cashew nut milk is a good substitute for dairy curd. You can also try soya milk curd, which was created with vinegar.

Amrakhand calories

It has nearly 526 calories, with 88 calories from fat. It also contains the right amounts of Vitamins A, E, and C, Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Iron. Thus, it is a healthy, sweet dessert delight for your taste buds.

Some special tips

1. You can use canned mango pulp instead of ripe mango or even homemade mango pulp.
2. Mango Pulp is readily available in Indian stores, or you can buy authentic, G.I. tag-certified Alphonso Mango Pulp directly from here.
3. Try roasted almonds and cashews instead of everyday dry fruits, which should be finely chopped. Use sweet, thick, less sour yoghurt, preferably fresh curd.
4. Add Saffron strands in one to two teaspoons of milk for 5 to 10 mins before starting your recipe to give more saffron aroma.
5. You will enjoy this like an ice cream dessert. If you are making it for later servings, store it in the refrigerator before serving.
6. You can keep this in ice cream cubes and store them in the freezer. 
7. You can add sugar, honey, or other sweeteners as you choose, but if the Alphonso Mango is ripe, I will not add any sweeteners like sugar.
8. As an option, you can add a pinch of saunth (dried ginger, sountha) for taste, as it will make you feel heavy saunth (dried ginger, sountha) and will help you digest.