Not all Indian food is hot and spicy. In fact, Indian yogurt desserts are a staple in many Indian households, offering a refreshing and cooling treat during hot summer days.
There are so many different ways that Indian yogurt, also known as dahi, is used in desserts. It’s a versatile ingredient that can be easily flavored with nuts, saffron and cardamom, which gives the dishes it’s used in a very unique and aromatic taste.
If you’ve never tried an Indian-yogurt based dessert, you’re certainly missing out. We’ll explore some of the top Indian desserts featuring yogurt below, including dishes such as Shrikhand, Mishti Doi, and Baked Yogurt.
Classic Indian Yogurt Desserts
A very popular Indian dessert is called Shrikhand. It’s made by combining strained dahi with powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Sometimes, other ingredients such as nuts and saffron are added to enhance its texture, flavor and color.
In the end, what you get is a delicious dessert that’s thick, creamy and refreshing. There are commercial versions of Shrikhand that you can find at an Indian food store, but they aren’t nearly as flavorful — nor the texture or “punch” — of freshly made varieties.
The great part about this dessert is that if you want to make it at home, it tastes great whether you’re using homemade dahi or a store-bought yogurt that’s similar.
Bengali Sweet Yogurt: Mishti Doi
Misthi Doi is a classic Bengali dessert that’s made by combining yogurt culture with milk and either Jaggery — a type of cane sugar that’s commonly used in the Indian subcontinent — or traditional white sugar.
Because of how it tastes, many people refer to this dessert simply as sweetened yogurt, but it’s so much more than that.
The traditional way to prepare Mishti Doi is to set the yogurt in earthen pots. Doing so helps to remove the excess moisture from the yogurt culture and set it at the perfect temperature.
One great part about this dessert is that you can make it from three simple ingredients — yogurt culture, sugar and evaporated milk.
Baked Yogurt Desserts
If you’re looking for a gluten-free dessert that’s high in protein, low in calories and absolutely delicious, then look no further than berry baked yogurt with sweetened yogurt. This extremely unique dish will not only “wow” guests, but it’s kid-approved as well.
This baked yogurt dish can be enjoyed as a sweet snack or even as a healthy breakfast, since it contains so many nutritious ingredients.
To make this dessert, you will combine yogurt and eggs that you will then bake into a light and fluffy mixture. When it comes out of the oven, the baked yogurt has a creamy texture that is delicious and strangely addictive.
A great way to top this dish is with a dollop sweetened yogurt and an assortment of fresh mixed berries. Just like other popular concoctions of today such as acai bowls, oatmeal and parfaits, you can play around with different topics and additives to change the taste, texture and nutritional value.
If you want to add more fiber to your diet, for instance, consider adding chia seeds or flax seeds. Or, increase the antioxidants by choosing fruits that are rich in this, such as blueberries and pomegranates.
Other Popular Indian Yogurt Desserts
There are many great Indian desserts that use yogurt as either its main ingredient or as a complementary ingredient.
Bhapa Doi, for instance, is very similar to Mishti Doi. To make it, you mix curd culture with milk, and either bake or steam it. In a way, it’s a cross between the Mishti Doi and Baked Yogurt recipes outlined above.
Other popular dahi desserts include Yogurt Lassi, Shrikhand and Mishti Doi, to name a few.
A very popular way that yogurt is used as a sweet treat in the Indian subcontinent is as a base for refreshing and nutritious drinks. With temperatures soaring in that part of the world — especially during the summer — these yogurt-based drinks can cool you down while also adding quite the powerful punch of protein and probiotics that you need to get through the day.
Tips and Tricks
The great part about all the Indian desserts listed above is that you can make them at home. If you’ve never made dahi before, it takes a little getting used to, but you can master the skills in time.
If you want to make the most delicious Shrikhand possible, make sure to use full-fat fresh yogurt. It shouldn’t be too sour, as it will change the flavor profile.
If you’re short on time — or simply aren’t interested in making Indian yogurt from scratch — then you can certainly substitute plain Greek yogurt. You can even use labneh, which is a strained yogurt from the Middle East, if you can find it in your local grocery store.
Since yogurt is a relatively neutral ingredient, in terms of overall flavor, it really takes on other flavors quite well. This makes it extremely versatile in any dish, but especially in desserts.
You can use just about whatever herb or spice combination you like to cater the flavor of your yogurt desserts to your liking, and that of the people who you’re enjoying it with. For instance, adding nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom powder will completely change the flavor profile of the dish.
If you want to be more adventurous, try adding some spicy flavors, too, such as cumin for a little surprising heat. For a change, experiment with different flavor variations, such as Kesar Shrikhand, which is often made with cardamom, saffron and pistachios.
Conclusion
Indian yogurt, or dahi, is an extremely versatile ingredient that’s used in a variety of different dishes or as a marinade for meats to help make them tender. One of the greatest ways that you can use dahi is in delicious dessert dishes, to serve a cooling and refreshing treat during hot summer days.
There are many easy-to-make recipes, such as the ones explained above, that allow you to create these traditional and delicious Indian desserts that feature yogurt.
Perhaps the best part about them is that you can experiment with different ingredients and flavors to create your own unique yogurt desserts. So, mix and match different flavor combinations, and enjoy an amazing dahi dessert today.
