Apr
What is Basundi
Don’t you agree that nearly every Indian has a sweet tooth? No wonder we have so many varieties of desserts in our cuisine.
Talking about desserts, dairy is a key ingredient in most Indian desserts. It is very difficult to imagine Indian sweets without milk, ghee, paneer, or khoya.
Most traditional desserts call for some kind of dairy and I feel they help bring out the true flavors of the sweet dish.
Basundi is one such milk-based Gujarati dessert that’s also made in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
It’s made by cooking the milk till it becomes thick, rich and creamy. It’s then sweetened with sugar.
This milk pudding recipe is very simple and easy to make but a bit time-consuming when made on the stovetop.
Adding rose flavored syrup to this traditional dessert makes it more refreshing and visually appetizing.
Basundi – A Milk based Indian Dessert
Course: DessertCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium4
servings10
minutes30
minutesUse a wide mouth, thick bottomed pan for this recipe. I have used the GitaDini 2-Quart Medium Saucepan.
Ingredients
2 cups creamer/evaporated milk/whipping cream
2 cups milk
½ cup sugar
2-3 tbsp rose milk powder/rose syrup
1/2 tbsp rose water
fried nuts like almonds and pistachios for garnish
Directions
- Pour the creamer or evaporated milk or whipping cream into the pan.
- Then pour the full-fat milk.
- Mix and bring to a boil. Keep stirring at regular intervals and scraping the sides of the pan to avoid scorching. Keep cooking until the mixture reduces by half.
- Then add the sugar, rose powder/syrup, and rose water to the pan. Continue to cook it till the mixture thickens.
- The consistency you’re looking for is that of a thick milkshake
Serving suggestions
- You can serve this Basundi hot or cold.
- Fry the nuts in ghee and pour them over the Rose Basundi to give the dish an enhanced flavor.
- Either serve them in individual cups or bowls or along with Puris.
- It’s the perfect dessert to make on festive or happy occasions or during the holidays.
Useful Tips
- For rose flavor, you can also add rose syrup instead of rose milk powder. If doing so, adjust the quantity of sugar as it’s already sweet.
- Cardamom powder, nutmeg, and saffron can also be added to give the dish a more aromatic flavor.
- Adding condensed milk instead of sugar will help reduce the cooking time as it will help thicken the milk quickly
- Basundi will continue to thicken as it cools. So do not cook it longer than required.
- You can add some fruits like pineapple, raspberries, and strawberries towards the end, to cut the sweetness with some tart flavor.
- You can add some fruits like pineapple, raspberries, and strawberries towards the end, to cut the sweetness with some tart flavor.
- This dessert can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it.
- You can easily make this vegan by using dairy-free milk and creamer.
This recipe has been created by our Guest blogger Priya Lakshminarayan, who runs the food blog Cookilicious. Her recipes always tell a story that is simple, easy to follow and has a tasty soul. Join her in her kitchen and let her take you on a gastronomical journey. Vegetarian & vegan cooking is so much fun!
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