This week I’m sharing a refreshing beverage for the Kid’s Delight theme: piyush. Discovering this Gujarati/Maharashtrian drink took me straight back to childhood afternoons spent making and sipping lassi with my father. We didn’t have a refrigerator then, but that never stopped us enjoying our homemade treats at room temperature. Piyush reminded me of those simple, comforting days.
Piyush is essentially a drink made from srikhand or hung curd combined with milk or buttermilk to create a smooth, cooling beverage. Srikhand is sweetened hung curd available in many flavors; this recipe adapts leftover srikhand (or freshly prepared hung curd) into a thicker drink perfect for warm days. If you use store-bought srikhand, reduce or omit the added sugar; when using plain hung curd I add sugar to taste. Chilling the curd and milk beforehand allows you to serve the drink immediately. It takes just a few minutes to blend together, and the saffron and cardamom make it feel special. I tried a portion with stevia and it was delightful — with or without sugar, piyush is wonderfully satisfying.
Serves Two
Ingredients
- Hung curd – 1/4 cup
- Homemade curd – 1/4 cup
- Milk – 1/2 cup (or buttermilk to adjust consistency)
- Sugar – 2–3 tbsp (adjust or omit if using sweetened srikhand)
- Cardamom powder – a pinch
- Saffron – a pinch (reserve a few strands for garnish)
- Pistachios – sliced, for garnish
Method
- Chill the milk, homemade curd, and hung curd in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours before preparing the drink.
- Take one tablespoon of milk and add the saffron strands. Warm briefly (about a minute) and set aside to cool so the milk extracts the saffron color and flavor.
- In a blender combine the hung curd, homemade curd, remaining milk, sugar, and cardamom powder. Add the saffron-infused milk, but keep a few saffron strands and some milk aside for garnish if desired.
- Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Adjust sweetness or milk to reach your preferred consistency.
- Pour the piyush into serving glasses, top with the reserved saffron and sliced pistachios, and serve immediately while cold.
Piyush – Gujarati / Maharashtrian Beverage Recipe
Course: Beverages
Cuisine: Gujarat, Maharashtra
Servings: 2 persons
Ingredients
- Hung Curd – 1/4 cup
- Homemade Curd – 1/4 cup
- Milk – 1/2 cup
- Sugar – 2-3 tbsp
- Cardamom Powder – a pinch
- Saffron – a pinch
- Pistachios – for garnish
Instructions
- Chill milk, curd and hung curd for 2–3 hours before making the drink.
- Take a tablespoon of milk and add saffron. Warm briefly and allow to cool.
- In a blender, add hung curd, curd, milk, sugar, cardamom powder and the saffron milk, reserving some saffron for garnish.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into serving glasses, top with the saffron and sliced pistachios, and serve immediately.