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Basundi sweet - traditional best Indian milk dessert served in a serving glass garnished with nuts.
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5 from 16 votes

Basundi Sweet Recipe - Best Indian Milk Dessert

Basundi is a traditional Indian dessert that is rich, sweet, and creamy, made with thickened milk. This milk-based dessert is served during special occasions, festivals, and celebrations.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dessert, sweets
Cuisine: gujarati, Indian, Karnataka, Maharashtra
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 393kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

  • Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 can Sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 ½ cups Whole Milk
  • ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
  • 8 strands Saffron kesar
  • 2 tablespoon Almonds , chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Cashews , chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Pistachios , chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Raisins
  • Nutmeg pinch optional

Instructions

  • 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 up to 5 to 5 ½ cups of milk. (Remember the mixture thickens on cooling) 
    1 can Sweetened condensed milk, 4 ½ cups Whole Milk
  • Bring this to a nice boil by stirring it occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom and get burnt or browned.
  • Reduce the flame to low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until it thickens and reduces by 25 percent. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan during this process, and add any milk solids back to the mixture. Scraping is what gives basundi a thick and creamy texture. If you want it thicker, then simmer it for a longer time.
  • Meanwhile, roast pistachios, almonds, and cashews in a pan until aromatic. Roasting is optional, but it gives additional flavor.
    2 tablespoon Almonds, 2 tablespoon Cashews, 2 tablespoon Pistachios
  • Once the milk is thickened, add roasted nuts, raisins, saffron threads, cardamom powder, and nutmeg.
    ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder, 8 strands Saffron, 2 tablespoon Raisins, Nutmeg
  • Stir this and simmer for another 2 minutes.
  • You can serve hot, warm, or cold. I recommend transferring this to a serving bowl and cooling completely. Refrigerate it for 2 hours at least before serving. The refrigeration will thicken this a little more.
  • Garnish it with some more nuts and saffron, and enjoy.

Notes

  • Vary the amount of dry fruits, nuts, cardamom, and saffron 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 one can of sweetened condensed milk and 4 ½ cups of full-fat milk. The amount of milk in the recipe depends on how sweet you like.
  • Use a flat laddle or spoon to stir and scrape the vessel.
  • Keep scraping 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 sweet dish on medium to low flame so 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.
  • For an authentic taste, add a pinch of nutmeg and tablespoon of chironji or charoli seeds if available. 

Storage instructions

  • This milk-based dessert can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. To thin it down, you can add milk. Serve it chilled or warm.
  • Basundi freezes well. Once it cools completely, add it to freezer safe conatiner and freeze for two months. Thaw overnight before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 653mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 430mg | Iron: 1mg