Amrakhand

Name: Amrakhand
Prep time: 500 min
Total time: 500 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 1 kg full-fat yogurt (for chakka); ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (adjust — Alphonso is sweet, so use less than plain shrikhand); 3–4 ripe Alphonso mangoes (to yield ~1 cup / 200 g mango pulp); ½ tsp cardamom powder; 10–12 saffron strands, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk; Pinch of salt; 2 tbsp pistachio slivers; 1 tbsp fresh mango cubes (diced fine); Alphonso pulp is naturally very sweet — start with less sugar and add to taste; Kesar (Kesar mangoes from Gujarat) can substitute but the flavour is more floral, less intense; Never use tinned mango pulp — it kills the fresh fruit intensity that defines this dish; Serve within 2–3 days; fresh mango causes the yogurt to become slightly sour beyond that

🟢 Veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Easy

The crown jewel of Maharashtrian summer desserts — shrikhand transformed with the addition of Alphonso mango pulp into a vibrant, intensely fragrant dessert that is simultaneously rich, fruity and cool. Made only during the short April–June Alphonso season, it is a once-a-year treat that Maharashtrians anticipate all winter. The mango variety is non-negotiable: Alphonso (Hapus) from Ratnagiri or Devgad is the only acceptable choice.

⏱️500 minPrep

🕒500 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

1 kg full-fat yogurt (for chakka)
½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (adjust — Alphonso is sweet, so use less than plain shrikhand)
3–4 ripe Alphonso mangoes (to yield ~1 cup / 200 g mango pulp)
½ tsp cardamom powder
10–12 saffron strands, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp pistachio slivers
1 tbsp fresh mango cubes (diced fine)
Serve within 2–3 days; fresh mango causes the yogurt to become slightly sour beyond that

👩‍🍳 How to make Amrakhand

Strain 1 kg yogurt through double-layered muslin cloth hung in the refrigerator overnight (same method as Shrikhand, Recipe 2).
You will get approximately 400–450 g thick chakka.
Peel mangoes and extract all flesh.
Blend to a completely smooth, fibre-free pulp using a blender.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if there are any fibres — the pulp must be perfectly smooth.
You need exactly 1 cup (200 g) pulp; refrigerate any excess.
In a large bowl, add chakka and powdered sugar.
Whisk vigorously for 3 minutes until smooth and airy.
The mixture will turn thick and glossy.
Add mango pulp, saffron milk and cardamom.
Fold gently with a spatula — do not over-whisk or the texture becomes airy when it should be dense.
Taste: adjust sugar (Alphonso is very sweet; you may need only ¼ cup sugar total).
Add a pinch of salt to enhance the mango flavour.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours — the flavours intensify significantly on chilling.
Serve in individual bowls or steel katoris.
Garnish with pistachio slivers and fresh mango cubes.
Serve alongside fried puris for the traditional Amrakhand Puri combination.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 220 kcal | 9 g | 34 g | 6 g | 1.5 g | A seasonal dessert so beloved that Maharashtrian families mark the Alphonso mango season on their calendars. The Konkan coast (Ratnagiri, Raigad, Sindhudurg) produces the finest Hapus mangoes and the Amrakhand made in these districts is legendary. Served at Akshaya Tritiya (mango harvest festival), summer weddings and every important family occasion from April to June. After the season ends, families lament its absence until the following year — a genuine cultural phenomenon around one ingredient. ---

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