Kesar Basundi Recipe

Basundi is an authentic, extremely delicious dessert which is loved by Everyone!

Basundi is an Indian dessert mostly in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. It is a sweetened dense milk made by boiling milk on low heat until the milk is reduced by half. In North India, a similar dish goes by the name "rabri".

Almost most of the people are familiar with this Basundi recipe, still I love to post this recipe because I love it very much. Moreover today is my B'day, So I prepared this Kesar Basundi Today and as soon as I prepared, I am in a hurry to post this recipe today itself feeling blessed and Happy :) :) :).

Basundi is made with ingredients easily found in your kitchen. The only thing is u have to get extra milk than ur usual need. Basundi is sweet thickened milk, flavored with cardamom and nutmeg, with the addition of dry fruits. Almonds and pistachios add crunch to this creamy sweet.  It tastes great when clubbed with puris.

Ingredients :

1. Full cream Milk - 4 cups
2. Sugar - 1/3 Cup
3. Cashew nuts / Kaju - 2 tbsp
4. Badam / Almonds - 1 tbsp
5. Pistachios - 6 nos
6. Kesar / Saffron - 10 to 15 threads approx
7. Nutmeg Powder - less than 1/4 tsp
8. Green Cardamom - 4 nos

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Cooking Method:

Take Milk in a wide Bottomed Pan. Bring it to Boil.

Reduce the flame and cook on a slow flame till the volume is reduced to half, while stirring occasionally. Meanwhile chop the nuts and be ready for adding with the milk.

Now the milk has reduced to half and its time to add the nuts, nutmeg powder and kesar with the thickened milk. The moment it gets layered with cream stir it gently. Cook until it gets thick on low flame. 

Remember to keep scraping the sides of the vessel when cooking, as that will make the basundi thick and impart a real creamy texture. 

Milk has become quite thick now, we are left with only 1/3 rd quantity of the milk.

Add sugar and Cardamom powder to the Basundi now.

Cook Basundi for 2-3 minutes so that sugar gets dissolved. Basundi is now ready.

Very thick Basundi is now ready. Garnish with Pistachios and serve Hot or you can keep it in refrigerator and serve Chilled. It will be sooo delicious when served Chilled.

Notes :

1. It is better using Non-Stick broad bottmed pan for making basundi rather than stainless steel.
2. You can skip the addtion of nutmeg powder.
3. Do not add more saffron than mentioned as it will spoil the Sweet.