Summer Fruit Salad with Shrikand

If you travel in the south or western states of India particularly in the summer months or have eaten at an Indian wedding there is a good chance that you got to eat Shrikand. Shrikand is a dessert made with greek style yogurt, very sweet, scented with cardamom, saffron and nuts. I love everything about this dessert except the amount sweetness that is added. In India, Greek style yogurt has been around for a while only it’s not sold in tubs, (maybe now they do) homemade is made by draining  freshly set yogurt through a cheesecloth. Then saffron, cardamom, sugar and sometimes fruit like mango is added. For lighter recipe I cutout the sugar and lightly sweeten it with honey and serve with summer fruits that are at their peak flavor and sweetness.

Summer fruit Salad with Shrikand

• 2 cups Greek style yogurt any fat% will do, I used 0%, if can’t find Greek yogurt then( put 3-4 cups of plain yogurt in a cheesecloth and let it drain overnight in the fridge. Save the whey, use in smoothie or drink as is, its loaded with probiotic goodness) or plant-milk yogurt
• 1/2 tsp crushed saffron soaked in 3 tablespoon warm milk and set aside for 30 minutes
• 2 tbsps good quality local honey I used Manuka honey this time (add more as needed)
• 1/2 tsp finely ground cardamom

• 1 cup toasted nuts almonds +pistachios roughly chopped 
• 1 cup green grapes
• 3 apricots stone removed and cubed
• 1 large banana sliced
• 2 large peaches stone removed and cubed
• 15 small-medium strawberries sliced
• 1 cup dark cherries, pitted
• 1 cup diced mango about 2
• 1/2 cup each blueberries and blackberries each
• 1 lime, juiced

Prepare all the fruits as suggested in mix them in a pretty serving bowl. Drizzle lime or lemon juice to prevent browning. Add chopped nuts. Cover and set aside.

To make the shrikand. Start the previous night. Mix all the ingredients for Shrikand and refrigerate overnight.

To serve: (1) Spoon about 1/2 cup-1 cup of mixed fruit in a bowl and add a large dollop of saffron flavored yogurt and toasted nuts over it. Serve immediately. (2) spoon the shrikand into a piping bag with a small hole opening and run over the fruit by gently squeezing the bag over it in a zig-zag pattern. Sprinkle nuts. Spoon into pudding cups.