Basundi is a rich and delicious, flavored and sweet thickened milk with dry fruits and nuts. This delightful milk based dessert is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
This dessert is very popular in Maharastra (Mumbai) and Gujarat. This is similar to rabri or rabdi but the texture and consistency is different.
Traditionally this sweet is prepared by boiling milk on low heat till its thickened and reduced to half. But today to fasten the process I have used condensed milk in my recipe. The dry fruits and nuts added in this dish gives it nice additional crunch. The flavor comes from saffron threads and cardamom powder. This dessert can be served hot, warm or chilled. I love it hot or chilled 🙂
With festivals like Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri and Deepavali around the corner, I felt it is the right time to share this with all my readers. Don’t miss to check out BEST INDIAN DESSERT RECIPES from my blog and blogger friends.
My lil one is becoming naughtier day by day and I hardly find any time to cook or eat. I end up making quick and easy recipes to make my life more easier. But as per tradition, a sweet is must on festival days or any special occasion. If  🙂 and you must all know a popular saying, “Mu Mitha Ki Jiye” 🙂
This year, I am going to prepare sweets like this which does not require much preparation ahead. These recipes will be helpful for busy mom like me, for those who want to spend less time in kitchen and have fun with family and friends.
Coming back to basundi, the recipe below is very flexible one. Few tips from my end before you start :
- Vary the amount of dry fruits and nuts, cardamom and saffron as per your taste. You can add any dry fruits and nuts you love.
- My family loves it a little extra sweet so I have used 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 4 1/2 cups of full fat milk. Depending on how sweet you like vary the amount of milk in the recipe.
- Use a flat laddle or spoon to stir and scrape the vessel.
- Keep scarping the sides of the vessel or pan and add it back during the cooking process as this is the key that will make your basundi thick and creamy in texture.
- And prepare this entire sweet dish in medium to low flame so that it does not burn at the bottom. Depending on how thick you like you can simmer it longer.
- The mixture thickens further as you refrigerate.
- I have roasted the nuts (pistachios, almonds and cashews) to get additional flavor. This is totally optional.
With all these basic tips, you can never go wrong with this recipe. Prepare this tasty dessert for festival this year and impress your family and friends.
Basundi is a rich and delicious, flavored and sweet thickened milk with dry fruits and nuts. This delightful milk based dessert is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- 1 can Sweetened condensed milk
- 4 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
- 8 strands / threads Saffron
- 2 tbsp Almonds chopped
- 2 tbsp Cashews chopped
- 2 tbsp Pistachios chopped
- 2 tbsp Raisins
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In a heavy bottom pan, add condensed milk and whole milk and mix well. Start with 4 cups of milk. Depending on how sweet you like you may add upto 5 to 5 1/2 cups of milk.
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Bring this to nice boil by stirring it occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom and get burnt or browned.
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Reduce the flame to low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or till it begins to thicken and reduces by 25 percent . Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan during this process and add in any milk solids back to the mixture. Scraping is what gives basundi thick and creamy texture. If you want it more thicker then simmer it for longer time.
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While you have simmered, roast pistachios, almonds and cashews. Roasting is optional but it gives additional flavor.
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Once the milk is thickened, add roasted dry fruits and nuts of your choice, saffron threads and cardamom powder
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Stir this and simmer for another 2 minutes.
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You can serve hot, warm or cold. I recommend to transfer this to serving bowl and cool completely. Refrigerate it for 2 hours at least before serving. The refrigeration will thicken this a little more.
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Basundi is ready. Garnish it with some more nuts and saffron and enjoy.
- Once you add milk and condensed milk check the sweetness. If you find it too sweet, then add more milk. The cooking time may vary accordingly.Â
- Some other flavorings that can be used are rose water, nutmeg powder.
- You can even add in sugar instead of condensed milk but only after milk comes to full boil. This might take longer time (more than hour to get thicker consistency)
- You can also combine sugar and condensed milk.Â
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