Shrikand is a sweet yogurt dish that hails from India, widely popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra.  It's made with strained yogurt (Greek style yogurt) and flavored with saffron, cardamon, and any variety of nuts, fresh and/or dried fruits.  The saffron and cardamom give Shrikand its distinct characteristic flavor.  The traditional version is very, very  sweet with added sugar.  This recipe uses only fruit for sweetness, but if you want to bring it up, coconut sugar or a date syrup seem like good choices for this dish.

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.  

Prep time:  20 minutes
​Chilling time:  45 - 60 minutes+
Serves:  4

Ingredients
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



Instructions

1. Prepare the saffron threads:  steep in 1 tsp. of hot water and set aside.
2. Place ½ cup of coconut yogurt in a food processor with 1 rough chopped nectarine, ground cardamom and the roughly chopped pistachios.
3. Pulse until evenly mixed and smooth.
4. Add saffron thread with the 1 tsp of hot water it steeped in, and pulse once more.
5. Add the mixture to the remaining coconut yogurt.  Mix well.
6. Divide the mixture in your designated serving bowls; this recipe serves 4.
7. Chill for at least 45-60 minutes.

Before serving:

1. With a small strainer, sieve and tap about ⅛ teaspoon of the match powder on top of each serving.
2. Place nectarine pieces on the top center of each serving, about 1 Tbsp. for each.
3. Sprinkle about finely chopped pistachios on the top center of each serving, about ½ Tbsp for each.

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This vegan corn chowder recipe is a standard of mine at this time of year, when I can actually buy fresh corn in NYC!  Sweet corn is ideal.  The chipotle peppers add a smooth, smoky quality to this summer chowder, and a perfect spicy kick in a delicate, non-threatening way.  No watery eyes!  The corn, onions and red bells balance the spice with a wonderful savory sweetness.  In the fall, you can make a thicker version by adding potatoes, in addition to, or in place of the zucchini.  It's fine, of course, if you can't get to preparing fresh corn, to use frozen organic kernels - still makes a great chowder.  If you can, though, get it while it's fresh!

​I use minimal or no oil in my soups.  For this, there's a bit of olive oil to start.  Once a basic sauté gets going, I add a dash of salt to get the juices flowing (water is released from the veggies), and this makes a nice, moist sauté that really brings out the flavors nicely.  You'll see in the instructions!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time:  1 hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients
3 cups, fresh corn kernels (a medium to large ear gives a cup of kernels)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
½ cup yellow onion, small dice
½ cup red bell pepper, small dice
½ cup zucchini, small dice
1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce), finely diced
1 Tbsp. adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle pepper)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. olive oil
1 ½ tsp. salt, to taste
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. chives, finely sliced for garnish

Instructions

1. Strip away the corn husks and rinse the ears.
2. With a sharp knife, carefully shave the kernels from the cob.  You may want to do this over a shallow bowl, as the kernels fly a bit.  A large knife will give you more control and allow you to shave off more kernels at once, but please be careful.
3. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
4. Add garlic, onion and chipotle pepper.
5. Stir and sauté slowly, for about 3 minutes, as the fragrance builds.  It smells amazing!
6. Add the red bell pepper and zucchini. Stir the mixture well.  
7. Add 1 tsp. of salt and the ground cumin, and stir the mixture well again.  
8. Allow everything to cook for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
9. Stir in corn and allow to cook with the mixture for about 3 minutes.
10. Add ½ tsp. salt and mix well.
11. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
12. Turn down the heat, and allow the soup to simmer for about 40 minutes.
13. Once all the ingredients are cooked thoroughly, remove 1 cup of the mixture and blend. Pour it back into the pot, and stir in.
14. Add the fresh lime juice.
15. Simmer for 5 minutes
16. Garnish each serving with chives.
17. Enjoy!​

Copyright © 2016 Green Beat Life, LLC.  ​All rights reserved.

Work with me! Would you like to achieve your dietary and wellness goals? Click here to schedule a free consultation or email info@greenbeatlife.com