Basundi
Milk simmered until it reduces to about two thirds, sweetened and flavoured with cardamom, nutmeg and saffron, served chilled.
Photograph credit: Basundi Indian Dessert Mithai Sweets (image of basundi on Wikidata Q2722375) by Edsel Little · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
The difference from rabri is in the milk. Rabri keeps the skin, folded into thick strands; basundi has none, and what you get is smooth, pourable, almost custard-like milk. The two share a method and not much else.
Start with full-fat milk and a heavy, wide pan. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring every few minutes and scraping the base. Skim and discard the skin as it forms, or whisk it back in with a spoon. The milk reduces by about a third in 55 minutes. If you stop stirring, the milk catches on the base. The brown flecks spoil the flavour.
Sugar goes in at the end, so it does not make the milk catch earlier. Cardamom, nutmeg and saffron are stirred in for the last 3 minutes, and a spoonful of chopped nuts brings texture.
Chill it for at least 2 hours. It thickens further in the fridge. Serve in small cups, cold, after a heavy meal, or with hot puris for a festive breakfast.
Questions About Basundi
How long does Basundi take to make?
5 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking, plus 2 hours of Chilling, so allow 3 hours 5 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.
Basundi: Step by Step
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Bring the milk to a boil in a wide, heavy pan. Lower the heat to medium-low.
-
Simmer for 55 minutes, stirring often and scraping the base, until reduced by about a third.
-
Stir in the sugar, cardamom, nutmeg and saffron and simmer for 3 minutes.
-
Cool, stir in the nuts and chill for 2 hours before serving.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
Tips That Matter
- Use a wide pan so the milk evaporates faster.
- Scrape the base regularly.
- It thickens as it chills; add a splash of milk if needed.
Serve It With
Puri · Fresh fruit · Jalebi · Chopped nuts
Keeping and Reheating
Keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Indian cooking and desserts ideas from Weekly Delight.
Rice Kheer
Rice slowly simmered in milk until it thickens and takes on a faint caramel colour, scented with cardamom and…
Kulfi
Milk boiled down by half and frozen hard in moulds. Denser than ice cream because it is never churned.
Moong Dal Halwa
Ground yellow moong dal slowly roasted in ghee until deep gold, then cooked with milk and sugar syrup into a rich…
Rabri
Milk simmered for an hour until it reduces to a thick, creamy layer, sweetened and flavoured with cardamom, saffron…
Ras Malai
Discs of fresh cheese poached, squeezed and soaked in cardamom and saffron milk. The dessert Bengali sweet shops are…
Besan Ladoo
Gram flour roasted slowly in ghee until it smells of biscuits, then rolled into balls with sugar. Forty minutes…