With mango season here it was inevitable that I head down to Little India (Toronto) to look for the Alphonso mangoes. Alphonso mangoes are considered by many to be the best variety of mango with regards to sweetness and flavour. Here in Canada the alphonso mangoes are imported directly from India and thus they are a just a little bit expensive. Despite the expense I like to indulge on them while they are in season as they are really good. I was in luck! They had the alphonso mangoes in at both Kohinoor Foods and Cash and Carry and I picked up a case. On my long tram ride back I was thinking about how I was going to enjoy them.
Other than just snacking on them fresh one of the top things on my list to try was a mango shrikhand. A shrikhand is and Indian dessert made by mixing thick and creamy strained yogurt with sugar, cardamom and saffron. From there you can add other things like mangoes. For a mango shrikhand you commonly add mango pulp but for my first mango shrikhand I decided to just and some freshly chopped alphonso mangoes so that I could enjoy the mangoes more. The mango shrikhand was easy to make, though you do have to wait a while for the yogurt to strain. The alphonso mango shrikhand was amazing! The yogurt was nice and thick and creamy and sweet and the cardamom and saffron flavours worked really well in it. I also added some chopped pistachios for a bit of colour and for a contrasting texture.
I enjoyed the mango shrikand so much that I have already made several of them this week. For the second one that I coated the mango pieces in brown sugar and caramelized them in a pan before adding them to the shrikhand. The warm caramelized mango was so good! For the third mango shrikhand, I made the one with the mango pulp mixed into the yogurt and it definitely enhanced the overall mango flavour. In the end I think that my favorite was the first one as I got to fully enjoy both the wonderful fresh alphonso mangoes and the cardamom and saffron strained yogurt.
Mango Shrikhand
ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (or strained plain yogurt)
- 1/4 cup mango pulp (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (confectioners sugar works well)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 pinch saffron (soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk)
- 1 tablespoon pistachios (toasted and chopped)
- 1 mango (peeled, stoned and cut into bit sized pieces)
directions
- Mix everything save the mangoes and top with the mangoes.
Caramelized mango! Great idea!
Sounds like a fresh, flavorful, interesting recipe Kevin!
LL
WOW WOW WOW!!! growing up in a marathi household in india, this was a staple for dessert! thanks for the post 🙂 you made me nostalgic
Note to self: Buy mangoes. Case lot of mangoes. =)
This looks amazing! Makes me wish I weren’t so lactose-intolerant . . . I will definitely seek out those Alphonso mangos though!
…and I thought the first version looked unbeatable….
I wonder if I could find those mangos here in Cali. Such vibrant colors – i can imagine how sweet & juicy they must be.
Oh I really like this one!
I love mangoes! i think thats gonna be delicious!
WOW…how very interesting this dish is. My husband loves mango so i bet he would love this also!
What a luscious dessert! Delightful!
Cheers,
Rosa
Adoro lo yogurt greco e il mango…
Buona giornata.
Totally missed out on the Alphonso mangoes here. Now I’m regretting it.
Sounds like an ideal treat for the summer!
In India, Mango Shrikhand is called Aamrakhand (“aam” meaning “mango”)and is made slightly differently. Once you have made the base shrikhand, you fold in some coarsely blended mango puree. This Aamrakhand stays in the freezer for months; in fact, it tastes better with age. Try it!
Mmmmm … all the versions sound good to me! I rarely have mango, mostly because I don’t know what to make with it! This is a great place for me to start!
Yum! Those look killer Kevin.
Looks delicious!!
Question – can you find true Greek yogurt in Toronto?? The think, already strained stuff, like Fage in the States? I have never found it in Vancouver.
MMMMM..I love shrikhand's!I adore your version, Kevin!! great & lovely!!!
Looks like the prefect thing for breakfast. I’ve never had Alphonso mangos but I will definately have to keep my eye out for them
I’m really lucky in that I have an Indian grocery store (well 4) just a five minute walk from my flat. They sell boxes of alphonso mangoes for really cheap when they are in season. The shrikhand looks lovely, light and fresh.
I love your blog! Thankyou!!
Now this dessert I would love!
I’d never heard of this and it looks great!
Totally agree about the alphonso magoe, they are indeed delicious and expensive.
Love the shrikhand, reminds me of home.
Looks delicous.
I love mangos almost as you Kevin!! Really I love when I find mangos Im so happy, this is a nice and delicious recipe!!! xxxx Gloria
This looks so delicious!
Mango Shrikhand – its called ‘Amrakhand’ in India. Its a favourite.
The caramalized mangoes – wow! great twist. Will surely try it someday.
I don’t know whether I’ve ever tried this variety of mango before. Will look for it next time I visit the Indian market – thanks for the tip! And the recipe looks delicious, I love cardamon in dessert!
You are on a real mango kick! I love that 1st photograph…everything looks so perfect, clear and vivid.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen alphonso mangoes in Calgary… maybe I just haven’t looked in the right places. But now I have great motivation to find them because this looks like a fantastic afternoon snack. I just love fruit on yogurt. For as much as I bake, I ahve to say fruits are my favourite sweet treat, just like Mother Nature intended!
If it has pistachio in it, that’s good enough for me! 😉 Now really, the whole combo looks rally tasty.
Kevin, another winner!
That looks amazing!
Perfect for summer for sure. Love cardamom in anything!
Those are the BEST mangoes! I am licking the screen as I read and look at this post. Yum!!
The shrikhand looks divine…reminds me of a friend who always bought this in her lunch box…
Caramalized mangoes is a cool idea…
Saee Koranne-Khandekar: Thanks for the freezer tip! It will be nice to save some mango goodness for later when they are not available.
Foodess: No, I have not been able to find good (or any really) Greek yogurt here in Toronto. I found a nice large tub of imported Greek yogurt once but that shop never got it in again.
u have me drooling bad here,for srikhand is my favorite thing to eat!! Alphonsos are a real treat here, but in USA I have never seen a fresh one. I miss them so bad. I did make a caramelized mango srikhand before….really one has to taste it only to get hooked to it!
I love mango, but never had mango shrikhand…only lassi. Great opportunity to try it!. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ah you’re so lucky to have all these great mangoes at hand..! Love this dish 🙂
Actually I love mangoes. So I think I’m gonna like this food.
A perfect summer time dessert! Although mango is quite expensive here, I should give it a try. I’ll use home made yogurt, so the expense will decrease half 🙂
Wow! You actually travelled far and wide for these Alphonso mangoes! I can just imagine how good they are!
OMG Kevin, that looks AWESOME! I love shirkhand and the idea of adding mangoes is just perfect. Such wonderful flavours!
WOW i bet this tastes amazing!
looksgorgeous!!!!!!!
Bravo! Your shrikhand looks every bit like the ones we make:)! I have been on an alphonso diet since the last month, and came here while looking for some new recipes to use up some mangoes in ways other than ice cream and tarts!
WOW!!! I stumbled upon your site and found this wonderful dessert just in time for mango season here in Jamaica. I have on question: why do you strain the yogurt?
reninja: I strain the yogurt so that it is nice and thick and creamy. If you have access to a nice thick yogurt, such as a Greek style yogurt, then you can easily skip the straining step.
This was absolutely delicious! i wrote about it on my blog here:
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/mango-shrikhand/
just made my baby some pureed mangoes with cardamom and saffron…was looking for the perfect spices to accompany her mango. this was great inspiration
This is delicious! I didn't have any saffron and I don't think it was missed at all. Very unique and, again, delicious combination. Perfect for a light summertime lunch