“Mango Shrikhand / Amrakhand” is a sweet yogurt based Maharashtrian Dessert prepared with hung curds / yogurt / dahi with the addition of ripe mango pulp … Alphonso the king of Mangoes hailing from the Ratnagiri District is the most popular mango that imparts an awesome color and taste to Amrakhand … It’s prepared almost in every home during summer when in season and relished with puffed poories … Here is freshly prepared one for all my friends … Yummy Yumz … Enjoy …
** Shrikhand is a very well known sweet yogurt / curd based dessert famous now throughout the world. It has reached reached millions of home now and is now relished by all without only having to dream of it. Many decades back this dish was famous in Maharashtra and other states were not so much aware of it unless they had relished it in the state. During my childhood days I have never tasted this awesome preparation as it was not available in stores then. Come to think of it it was not available I think even 7-8 years back. My sister used to take it home as my nephew loved it while she traveled by flight only as otherwise it would not remain good. Preparation of shrikhand is actually very easy and I have no knowledge why we did not attempt to try it out before, maybe good thick milk is not much accessible or maybe we lacked the knowledge, whatever I did not enjoy this dessert much during my childhood.
** I still remember when my sister and me had gone on a school tour to Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Mumbai during our college days. We could meet our relatives if we knew the address or if they came to pick us up, just for one day. My sister had by then married and settled in Mumbai and since I had been to her place in Mumbai before during my holidays, I knew very well the route to her home. Both of us decided to give her a surprise visit as initially we had not planned the same. Another frds. relatives dropped us to the nearby station and both of us traveled by the train in glee to her home. She was not only surprised but furious too for taking the chance of travelling by ourselves. Her MIL who had prepared Shrikhand that day offered us the same in bowls and that was the time I relished it for the first time.
** After marriage and settling in Mumbai, I then relished this frequently getting it from stores. Finally after I few years I decided to prepare it at home and till date I have not looked back. I prepared shrikhand with addition of many different types of fruits and enjoyed them with poori which is the best combination to date. Over decades I have tried making with litchi, dry fruits, orange, mango, sitaphal, strawberries and plum. But I have blogged only two till now that is sitaphal and strawberry. The others were prepared when I was not into blogging and they are yet to be done. I know there is still so much to be prepared and bogged but it cant be helped, as at the most I can blog one dish in two to three days, though I have loads of pictures ready to be posted. But writing takes time and I have learnt now to enjoy life instead of working round the clock and spoiling my health. Do keep a keen watch on my Blog I will post them as and when I prepare the same.
** The recipe to preparation of Shrikhand is really very simple with all ingredients readily available in our own kitchen, You can add in any good sweet fruit puree to it and you get shrikhand based on that particular fruit … today I have done so with our very own Alphonso Mango / Aapus Ambo and it’s one of the best combo even in shrikhand. As I pointed out it’s relished in every Maharashtrians home, now I guess in almost every Indian home during season. Alphonso Mango needs no introduction as it is very sweet and orange in color giving Shrikhand an awesome color and flavorful taste. Even among Alphonso the one’s from the District of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra state are the best one’s and are very costly. My fruit vendor gives me the best juiciest and sweetest mango throughout the season and this is something I don’t compromise on.
** For the preparation of Amrakhand : I have added pictures below for proper understanding of the preparation of Amrakhand. I used 2 cups of thick curds, 1 medium sized Alphonso Mangoes and 2 tblsp of sugar. I have not added on anything else but garnished with some Almond slivers. You can add on Saffron / Kesar if the mangoes are not bright orange in color and cardamom for flavor. Somehow addition of cardamom rules of the flavor of mangoes so I do not add it for amrakhand. It’s entirely your choice.
** Firstly you need good thick milk to set thick sweet curds. The curds should not be sour in taste and should be prepared without addition of water to the milk. Check the link posted at the bottom of the recipe for setting of perfect curds too.
** Prepare fresh curds overnight and next morning, place a large fine stainless steel sieve over a well fitting bowl, now place a fine cotton / muslin cloth to cover up the sieve properly and add in the curds.
** The sieve should be large enough to hold on all of the curds needed by you and so should the cotton cloth. Now fold over the cotton cloth over the curds to cover it up in a layer. Keep a flat plate on top of it and then place a heavy weight or a stone and set it aside for a few hours. 
** You can also tie the curds in the cloth like a bundle and hang it somewhere for the whey (water that drops out) to drip off. I do not follow that procedure as I do not want to hang it to a tap or so for fear of hygiene and also I want to collect the whey as you can use the same while binding roti dough. So I follow the above said procedure and please do not throw away the whey use it for kneading the dough or roti. The sieve is kept over a well fitting bowl and the whey gets collected in it which I can use in preparation of soft chapati / roti. You may use any procedure suitable to you. 
** Check in between to see if the whey has dripped of completely. Once it is done so, gently open the cloth carefully without using force. You will see within a well block of strained and compressed cottage cheese set. This is the one that is used as base for even cheese making. If there is excess you can make flavored cheese out of the same too, I will post the same soon too. Gently remove the cheese and grumble it and keep it ready aside. 
** Choose 1 medium sized Alphonso / Aapus Mangoes that is very ripe, pulpy and sweet in taste. Wash and wipe them dry with a cloth. Peel off the out skin or slice them as thinly as possible. Slice and cut the edible flesh portion into pieces.
** Remove as much sweet pulp as possible and discard the inner seed. Put the fleshy portion in a mixer grinder along with sugar, I used about 2 tblsp and grind to a smooth puree. Please DO NOT add any water.
** Now add in the crumbled cheese to the mango mixture in the mixer and grind further to a smooth paste. Please DO NOT add any water, remember at no point should water be added to the ingredients while preparing Shrikhand / Amrakhand and then you will not get the final result well.
** Runny dessert definitely does not taste good and will not please your family or guests. If you do not want to use mixer grinder you can also both together in a bowl and beat well with a ringer whisker.
** Remove the Amrakhand into a airtight box and put it in the fridge immediately and serve garnished with some almond slivers. If you need to use it after 24 hours, you can put it in the freezer and remove about an hour before serving.
** “Mango Shrikhand / Amrakhand” a sweet yogurt based Maharashtrian Dessert is done and ready to be served. It tastes simply awesome with some well puffed hot poories and usually that is the way it is served at functions throughout Maharashtra. You can prepare prepared out of Maida which was the traditional way of serving this decades back though using of Maida has been cut down now in many homes for health reasons. You may try out any poori, say out of nachani or any other flour too. Try this awesome Dish and enjoy with your family and friends. Remember to serve the Amrakhand chilled but with hot pooris or roti's.
** Note : I have posted the method of setting of perfect thick curds before and those who would like to know or are not aware of the same can check up on the method by going through the link posted below ….
** You can use the search option for "Shrikhand ... Poori and Roti" where you will get a few more dishes prepared using it. Do try out various types of these dishes to relish and relish with poori or roti of your choice. Enjoy the dishes with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible.
** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of similar type in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. You can also go to my page (add on the left side of blog) and leave a message and I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible … Thank you.
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