The doughnut recipe is eggless and the shrikhand is based on my classic home-style recipe which calls for hung yoghurt, flavoured with saffron and cardamom. I have never been so obsessed with a dessert in my life than I am with these pillowy soft doughnuts filled with sweetened yoghurt.
This recipe for Shrikhand Doughnuts is…
Step by step with photos and video Eggless Soy free Perfect for special occasions like Diwali and Eid
This is the very much upgraded version two of my original Shrikhand Doughnuts I posted back in 2011.
What is shrikhand?
If you’ve never tried shrikhand, think of it as a sweet labneh or unfrozen frozen yoghurt. Shrikhand is a popular Indian dessert in summer, since it’s very cooling. Typically, we enjoy shrikhand as part of a thali (platter of starters, mains, rice, daal and dessert). It’s also delicious with white Poori, an unleavened style of fried bread popular at Gujarati weddings. This is not to say that shrikhand is exclusively Gujarati, for it’s also a favourite in Maharashtra. A great bowl of shrikhand should be sweet, tangy and rich with the aromas of ground green cardamom and fragrant saffron.
Where does shrikhand come from?
The first written mention of shrikhand dates back to the 11th century. A Kannada poet named Chavundaraya II wrote a recipe for shrikhand in his book on agriculture, the Lokopakara. Shrikhand was also mentioned in the Soopa Shastra, a cookbook written in 1508 by the Jain king Mangarasa III. Today, shrikhand is a popular dessert in both Maharashtra and Gujarat, as well as across India and in Indian communities around the world.
What is hung yoghurt?
Hung yogurt is a type of yoghurt that has been strained to remove the whey, the liquid part of yoghurt. This gives it a thicker, creamier texture and a more concentrated flavour. Hung yoghurt is often used in Indian, Greek, Levantine and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s super easy to make hung yoghurt at home using a clean cheesecloth or muslin cloth strainer. Simply place the yoghurt in the strainer and let it drain for several hours, or overnight. The longer you strain the yoghurt, the thicker and tangier it will become.
Where does hung yoghurt come from?
It’s said that thick hung yoghurt was first made by herders who strained their yoghurt of its’ whey to make it lighter to carry. Indeed, strained yoghurt has been eaten in the Levant (modern-day Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Israel) for thousands of years. It is a practice dating back to ancient Bedouin tribes. Strained yoghurt can be used to make a library of delicious recipes, from savoury kebabs such as Dahi Kebabs, to sweet desserts like these Shrikhand Doughnuts.
How to serve Shrikhand Doughnuts
Split the fried, sugar-coated doughnuts in half and fill with as much Shrikhand as your heart desires. I like to add in some strawberry slices but you can leave them out, or use any seasonal fruit. Passion fruit is amazing in there! Scatter with a few chopped pistachios or almonds if you like. These need to be eaten straight away, which is usually not a problem in my house.
Can you air fry doughnuts?
Some doughnut recipes may be suitable for air frying, however it’s not a method I’ve tried with this recipe. The outside of the doughnut may not brown very well and the inside may remain firm, like a sweet dinner roll. I can’t recommend air frying these doughnuts, but let me know in the comments if you manage to do it successfully.
Ingredients you’ll need for Shrikhand Doughnuts
Plain natural set yoghurt – this needs to be the most sour yoghurt you can find. Try the ‘desi’ style dahi from shops, such as Pakeeza. Greek yoghurt is okay, but generally not sour enough to achieve a traditional flavour. Icing sugar (powdered sugar) – this will dissolve into the yoghurt much more easily than granulated sugar Green cardamom – crack the pods, take the seeds out and grind to a fine powder Saffron – try to use the best quality saffron within your means. Greek, Spanish, Iranian and Kashmiri saffron are all great. Whole milk – warm this and soak the saffron in it to extract the most flavour and colour Strong white bread flour – the high gluten content makes this the ideal flour for making doughnuts Fast-action dried yeast – a quick and easy leavening option for making doughnuts Caster sugar – fine caster sugar for coating the fried doughnuts Unsalted butter – this will enrich the doughnut dough for a soft texture Baking powder – a touch of baking powder gives the doughnuts extra lift in the absence of egg Salt – any fine salt will do Lemon juice – fresh or bottled Vanilla extract – or vanilla bean paste Any neutral oil for deep frying – rapeseed, canola, sunflower or vegetable oil Sliced strawberries – optional but very delicious! Use any seasonal fruit
Step-by-step instructions for making Shrikhand Doughnuts
1. Tie the yoghurt to make strained yoghurt (hung yoghurt)
Place a clean muslin cloth (cheesecloth) into a bowl or strainer. Add the yoghurt and tie a very tight knot at the top of where the yoghurt sits to encourage all the water to squeeze out. Hang the muslin somewhere cool with a large bowl underneath to collect all the whey that drips out. Leave this for 24-36 hours. The longer you leave it, the thicker it will be. Save the whey for another recipe. It’s amazing in Kadhi.
2. Add the sugar to the strained yoghurt
Transfer the strained yoghurt to a large bowl and beat in the icing sugar. Soak the saffron in hot milk. Pass the mixture through a sieve, pushing it through with the back of a large spoon or with a silicone spatula. The shrikhand will be very smooth at this stage. Do not do this in a food processor or the yoghurt will turn watery.
3. Flavour the shrikhand
Add cardamom and saffron milk. Fold everything together with a large spoon. Try not to whip or beat the shrikhand. Add some pistachios and/or almonds for decoration.
4. Chill the shrikhand
Refrigerate the shrikhand for 6-8 hours, or overnight for the best flavour. Make sure it’s in an airtight container or wrapped very well in cling film so that it doesn’t absorb any other food smells.
1. Mix the Shrikhand Doughnuts dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment combine the flour, yeast, sugar and baking powder. Add the butter, salt, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix again until the flour mixture resembles a crumble topping. Pour the warm milk and switch the mixer on to a medium speed. A dough should come together in about 30 seconds. Continue to run the mixer on medium-high speed for 10 minutes.
2. Proof the dough
Grease the bowl of the stand mixer with a little oil and place the dough back in. Cover with cling film and allow to rise in a warm place for 60 minutes.
3. Shape the doughnuts and proof again
Knock the air out of the dough and briefly knead to form a ball. Roll the dough out to around a 2cm thickness. Use an 8cm diameter (3-inch) round cookie cutter dipped in flour to stamp our rounds of dough. The flour will prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter. Place the cut dough onto a large, flat baking tray lined with baking parchment. Allow to rise for 30 minutes (uncovered).
4. Fry the doughnuts
Oil temperature: 180°C/355°F. Carefully slide the risen dough onto a metal turner or wide spatula and place into the hot oil. Alternatively, cut the baking parchment around the dough and use the sides to place the doughnuts into the oil without deflating them. You can then remove the baking parchment from the oil and discard. Don’t fry too many at once – 2 or 3 at a time maximum. Let the doughnuts brown on one side before turning to fry the other side. They’ll take around 2 minutes per side, so 4 minutes in total. Drain and place them onto a tray lined with absorbent kitchen towel.
5. Make the sugar coating
To make the cardamom sugar, mix caster sugar with ground cardamom seeds (remove the green outer shell). Alternatively, use vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg sugar. You can also keep it plain.
6. Toss the doughnuts in sugar
Gently toss each doughnut in the sugar mixed with ground cardamom, giving them a light coating.
11. Split and fill the doughnuts with shrikhand and strawberries
Split the fried, sugar-coated doughnuts in half and fill Shrikhand. Spoon or pipe it in, depending on how you’d like them to look.
Shrikhand Doughnuts recipe | How to make Shrikhand Doughnuts | Eggless Doughnuts filled with sweetened yoghurt
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With love and Shrikhand Doughnuts,
This Shrikhand keeps well in the fridge for up to a week after it’s made. Keep it in an airtight container.
Shrikhand will also keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.Store unfilled doughnuts in a closed paper bag or in airtight container at room temperature. Keeping them in the fridge will make them turn stale quickly
The unfilled doughnuts are best eaten within 48 hours. Filled doughnuts should be eaten immediately. Always assemble just prior to serving.If you don’t like Shrikhand, try filling with strawberry jam and/or cardamom, substitute with your favourite flavours (suggestions in blog post)
Here are some ways to test oil temperature without a thermometer for 180°C/355°F:
Use a wooden spoon or chopstick. Dip the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. If the oil starts to bubble around the wood, the oil is hot enough. If the oil is not bubbling, the oil is not hot enough.Use a piece of bread. Drop a small piece of bread into the oil. If the bread browns in 15 seconds, the oil is at 180°C/355°F. If the bread browns in more than 15 seconds, the oil is not hot enough.
It is important to note that these methods are not as accurate as using a thermometer, but they can be used in a pinch. If you are frying food that is delicate, such as doughnuts, it is best to use a thermometer to ensure that the oil is at the correct temperature. This plain milk powder burfi is the Indian sweet recipe my followers request the most. I think White Burfi has such a simple charm and universal appeal. It has true pistachio flavours (not just food colour or pistachio essence) and of course, gold and silver leaf on top. Perfect for gifting. Your family and friends will love it! Here’s an entirely foolproof recipe that delivers amazing results every time. I created this recipe using my favourite eggless cupcake recipe and it’s always a hit at parties. Layers of cardamom burfi, classic chocolate chip cookie dough and milk chocolate combined to create the wickedest chocolate burfi you’ll ever experience. Enjoy as a square or as a hot fudge-like pudding with ice cream. It is adapted from my Perfect Plain White Burfi recipe and it’s completely foolproof. Each square of burfi is perfectly crumbly and melts in the mouth. Indian sweets have never been so simple! Laced with ground cardamom and vanilla extract, floral undertones are created beneath a creamy layer of white chocolate. As soon as you take a bite, the fudge begins to melt on your tongue and a burst of subtle flavours take over. Bliss. Layer up the flavours, set and cut into large squares. Sanjana Share this recipe
