Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Jars

Every Diwali growing up, my grandmother would make a fresh batch of shrikhand the evening before. She would hang full-fat yogurt from the kitchen tap overnight, and by morning, that thick, jewel-yellow curd, scented with saffron and cardamom, would be waiting in the fridge. We ate it straight from the bowl, no ceremony needed.

These days I make that same shrikhand, but I layer it into small jars with gulab jamun for a dessert that feels a little more festive and a lot more fun to serve. Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Jars bring two of India’s most beloved sweets together in one beautiful no-bake bite. The shrikhand is cool, creamy, and gently spiced. The gulab jamun is warm-syrup-soaked and melt-in-your-mouth soft. Together they are ridiculously good.

If you’re planning a Diwali spread, a potluck, or even just a dinner where you want dessert to feel special without spending hours in the kitchen, these jars are your answer.

Shrikhand: A Gujarati Classic Worth Knowing

Shrikhand (pronounced shree-KHAND) is a traditional Gujarati and Maharashtrian dessert made from hung curd: yogurt that has been strained until thick and dense, richer in texture than Greek yogurt and far more concentrated in flavor. It is then sweetened, spiced with cardamom, colored with saffron, and studded with pistachios.

In Gujarati homes, shrikhand is as central to celebrations as mithai is to North Indian ones. It shows up at Janmashtami, Diwali, weddings, and everyday Sunday thalis alongside puri and aamras. The version we know best at home is Kesar Shrikhand: golden-yellow from saffron, fragrant with cardamom and a touch of kewra water.

Straining your own yogurt gives you control over texture and flavor that no store-bought version can match. That said, if you’re short on time, a good full-fat Greek yogurt drained for a few hours works well too. And if you love shrikhand as much as I do, my mango shrikhand (amrakhand) is another no-cook dessert worth bookmarking for mango season.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No cooking required once the shrikhand is ready: just layer and chill
• Make it ahead up to a day before serving, jars and all
• Crowd-friendly: scales easily to 8, 12, or more jars for parties
• Fully customizable base: digestive biscuits with ghee is our go-to, but you can skip it for a simpler two-layer version
• A unique dessert that sparks conversation every single time

Ingredients

For the Kesar Shrikhand

• 2 cups full-fat yogurt (or substitute 1.5 cups thick Greek yogurt, see notes)
• 5-6 tablespoons powdered sugar, adjust to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 15-20 saffron strands (a large pinch)
• 2 tablespoons warm whole milk, for blooming saffron
• 1/2 teaspoon kewra water (optional, but adds wonderful floral depth)
• 2 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped

For the Biscuit Base

• 8 digestive biscuits (plain Marie biscuits also work)
• 1.5 tablespoons ghee, melted

For Assembly

• 8 gulab jamuns (homemade or store-bought canned)
• Dried rose petals, extra pistachios, and saffron strands for garnish

How to Make Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Jars

Step 1: Strain the Yogurt (Do This the Night Before)

Line a fine mesh strainer or colander with a clean cheesecloth or doubled-up muslin cloth. Pour in the yogurt and tie the cloth into a bundle. Hang it over a bowl in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The whey will drain out and you’ll be left with thick, creamy hung curd.

You should end up with about 1 cup of hung curd from 2 cups of yogurt. If it is still a little wet, squeeze gently in the cloth.

Tip from my kitchen: I hang the yogurt from a kitchen hook above the sink using a rubber band, then move it to the fridge after the first hour. The fridge straining keeps it cool and food-safe overnight.

Step 2: Make the Shrikhand

Bloom the saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm milk for 5 minutes until the milk turns golden.

In a bowl, combine the hung curd, powdered sugar, cardamom powder, saffron milk, and kewra water (if using). Whisk together until smooth and silky. Fold in the chopped pistachios. Taste and adjust sugar.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Cold shrikhand is much thicker and scoops beautifully into the jars.

Step 3: Prepare the Biscuit Base

Crush the digestive biscuits in a zip-lock bag using a rolling pin, or pulse in a small blender. You want coarse crumbs, not powder. Mix in the melted ghee until the crumbs hold together when pressed. The ghee adds a warmth here that butter doesn’t quite replicate.

Step 4: Assemble the Jars

Take four small dessert jars or glasses (roughly 150-200 ml capacity). Add about 1.5 tablespoons of the biscuit-ghee mixture to the base of each jar and press lightly with the back of a spoon.

Spoon or pipe the shrikhand generously over the biscuit layer, filling the jar about two-thirds of the way.

Halve the gulab jamuns and nestle two halves on top of the shrikhand in each jar. Let some of the rose syrup from the gulab jamun drizzle into the shrikhand layer: it creates a beautiful ripple of sweetness.

Garnish with crushed pistachios, a few rose petals, and a strand or two of saffron.

Step 5: Chill and Serve

Cover the jars with lids or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. The chill firms the shrikhand, settles the layers, and lets all the flavors come together.

Serve cold, straight from the jar.

Tips for Perfect Shrikhand

Yogurt matters. Use whole-milk yogurt with no stabilizers or gelatin added. Low-fat yogurt gives a thinner, slightly sour shrikhand. Full-fat gives you the richness you want.

Don’t rush the straining. Six hours minimum. Overnight is best. Under-strained yogurt leads to watery shrikhand that won’t hold its shape in the jar.

Saffron: bloom it right. Saffron dissolved in warm (not boiling) milk releases both color and aroma far better than saffron stirred directly into cold curd.

Sweetness balance. Canned gulab jamun is very sweet. Start with 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar in the shrikhand and taste before adding the 5th or 6th.

Gulab jamun shortcut. Canned gulab jamun from an Indian grocery store works perfectly here. Halve them and let them drain on a plate for a minute before placing on the shrikhand so the dessert doesn’t get too wet.

Make-Ahead Notes

These jars are genuinely better made a day in advance.

• Shrikhand: make up to 2 days ahead, cover and refrigerate
• Biscuit base: mix the crumbs up to 2 days ahead, store in an airtight container at room temperature
• Assembled jars: make 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight
• Storage: keeps well for up to 2 days once assembled; the base will soften slightly after 24 hours (still delicious, just less crunchy)

FAQs

Q1. Can I make this without straining my own yogurt?
Yes. Thick full-fat Greek yogurt is a good shortcut. Strain it for 2-3 hours in the fridge using a cheesecloth to remove any excess moisture, then proceed with the shrikhand recipe. It won’t be quite as dense as overnight-hung curd, but it is still delicious.

Q2. Can I skip the biscuit base?
Absolutely. The jars work beautifully as a simple two-layer dessert: shrikhand at the base, gulab jamun on top. The biscuit layer adds textural contrast but is entirely optional.

Q3. Can I use homemade gulab jamun?
Of course! Homemade gulab jamun (especially soft, khoya-based ones) take this dessert to another level. Just make sure they are fully soaked in syrup and at room temperature before assembling the jars. Avoid adding hot gulab jamun directly onto the shrikhand, as the heat will make the yogurt weep.

Q4. Is there a vegan version?
You can try thick coconut yogurt strained overnight for the shrikhand layer. The flavor will be different but the texture works. Vegan gulab jamun (made with coconut milk powder instead of khoya) is also available at some specialty stores.

Q5. How long do these keep?
Up to 2 days in the refrigerator, covered. The base softens after the first day, which some people actually prefer. Day-two jars taste even more cohesive because the layers have had more time to meld.

Closing

Shrikhand has been on my kitchen table for as long as I can remember, and gulab jamun has been at every celebration I can think of. Putting the two together in a jar feels less like a fusion experiment and more like a reunion. Whether you’re making them for Diwali, a dinner party, or a quiet Tuesday that deserves something special, I hope they bring the same joy to your table that they bring to mine.

If you try this recipe, leave a comment below and tell me: did you go with a biscuit base or keep it simple? I’m always curious which version people love more.

Made this? Share a photo and tag @petitepaprika on Instagram — I love seeing your kitchen creations!