Piyush is a chilled, creamy dessert-drink from Gujarat and Maharastra. It's made with blended shrikhand, milk or buttermilk and fragrant nuts and spices. My version is beautifully smooth and indulgent thanks to a little extra fresh cream.

rich white yogurt drink, garnished with pistachio, saffron and rose petals served in a glass on silver tray.

The Creamiest Dessert-Drink made with Shrikhand

A rich, velvety drink that sits somewhere between a dessert and a drink. A little research told me word piyush means “nectar” or “amrit” in Sanskrit. Basically something divine and indulgent, which I think fits the drink perfectly.

Thanks to the saffron, and cardamom, piyush is luxurious with a gentle tang from the creamy yogurt. It's a bit like sipping melted shrikhand. Yum!

You'll find it served after a meal in Maharashtrian restaurants. I love it after a spicy dish like chana masala or a rich palak paneer kofta curry.

Hayley x

At first glance, Piyush and Lassi seem to be the exact same drink. However, Piyush is a rich creamy drink made from shrikhand and is thicker and sweeter than lassi.

Sweet lassi is a Punjabi speciality and is made purely from yogurt, sugar and milk. Lassi can then take on many different flavours, such as caramel lassi, a pink rose lassi, fruity mango lassi, just to name a few!

What you will need

This is a version without ready-made shrikhand, but if you already have some leftover, then you just need to blend the shrikhand with whole milk and add a little extra cardamom and saffron. Mango shrikhand can work here too.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.

1. Full fat greek yogurt (or hung curd) - I tend to use Greek yogurt as it's naturally thick and creamy. Hung yogurt works too.

2. Double cream - optional but I like to add it to give extra richness when serving at dinner parties or special occasions.

3. Whole milk - optionally use buttermilk (plain chaas) to thin out the drink

4. Nuts - such as almond and pistachio flakes

5. Saffron strands (kesar) which provide a light yellow colour and flavour

6. Cardamom powder - always a wonderful addition to Indian sweet recipes.

7. Sugar - you can adjust this to suit your taste. Piyush is meant to be sweet in taste.

How to make Piyush step by step

Here I am essentially making my own shrikhand first before adding in extra milk to thin out.

a clear glass filled with yogurt drink and placed on a silver serving tray

📖 Recipe

an image of 3 bottles filled with white lassi abd topped with green nuts. served on a round indian style decorative plate

Piyush Drink Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

This Piyush recipe is made from Shrikhand and then blended with fragrant nuts and spices.

Course Beverage, Desserts

Cuisine Gujarati, Indian, Punjabi

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings

Author Hayley Dhanecha

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

100 ml heavy cream double
300 ml greek yogurt full fat
300 ml whole milk
5-6 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. cardamom powder
Big pinch saffron thread
2 tbsp. slivered almonds and pistachio nuts
1 tsp. dried rose petals for garnish – optional

Instructions

Beat cream in a bowl using whisker till creamy and fluffy.
Add sugar, saffron, cardamom and yogurt and combine well.
Now add milk and whisk.
Add nuts, chill for 10-15 minutes then serve.

Video

Notes

You can also add ice to chill the drink further but note this will thin out the piyush.

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Pin This Recipe

Creamy Piyush Drink