Shrikand, naturally, has not been part of my vegan diet, but having been to those regions in India, the signature flavors are nostalgic for me. I was recently visiting a friend whom I had traveled to India with. She's also vegan now. After a wonderful vegan dinner, she brought out Anita's Creamline Coconut Yogurt and said, 'You know, you can make shrikand with this!' My eyes got really big. I've used Anita's yogurt for other recipes and it is a great product. It's perfect for shrikand because it's very thick and creamy. The traditional shrikand recipe involves hanging the yogurt to strain the liquid out.
There are a few vegan Greek style yogurts on the market that may also be suitable for a vegan shrikand. Many of them have added sugar, so that is something to consider when finding the sweetness you want. I would opt for plain, unsweetened for this dish, as the condiments and fruit will do the trick. The key is that the yogurt is not runny or watery in any way.
My friend made a shrikand with fresh blackberries, saffron and cardamom, with no added sugar. Really delicious! I've designed my own variation here, with some of my favorite things like nectarines, because they're in season and bountiful at this time of year, and I'm mad for matcha, so I've added this as a finishing condiment.
Chilling time: 45 - 60 minutes+
1 ¼ cup, coconut milk yogurt, Greek style, plain, unsweetened
2 nectarines: 1 rough chopped to blend in mixture; 1 diced small for topping
2 tsp. ground cardamom
4 saffron threads
1 ½ Tbsp. pistachios: ¾ Tbsp. rough chopped to blend in mixture; ¾ Tbsp finely chopped for topping
1 tsp. matcha tea powder
- Prepare the saffron threads: steep in 1 tsp. of hot water and set aside.
- Place ½ cup of coconut yogurt in a food processor with 1 rough chopped nectarine, ground cardamom and the roughly chopped pistachios.
- Pulse until evenly mixed and smooth.
- Add saffron thread with the 1 tsp of hot water it steeped in, and pulse once more.
- Add the mixture to the remaining coconut yogurt. Mix well.
- Divide the mixture in your designated serving bowls; this recipe serves 4.
- Chill for at least 45-60 minutes.
- With a small strainer, sieve and tap about ⅛ teaspoon of the match powder on top of each serving.
- Place nectarine pieces on the top center of each serving, about 1 Tbsp. for each.
- Sprinkle about finely chopped pistachios on the top center of each serving, about ½ Tbsp for each.