Indian cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Basundi

Whole milk slowly reduced by half with cardamom and saffron, topped with almonds and pistachios.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1.5 l whole milk
• 120 g sugar
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 50 g almonds
• 50 g pistachios
• 30 g cashews
• 1 tbsp ghee

Instructions

1. Roughly chop the almonds, pistachios and cashews, crack the cardamom pods in a mortar and finely crush the black seeds; soak the saffron in 2 tbsp hot milk.
2. Bring the remaining whole milk to a boil in a wide, heavy pot, then reduce the heat and simmer gently uncovered for 40–45 min.
3. Stir every 4–5 min with a flat spoon, pushing the skin that forms at the edge back into the milk – this is what creates the characteristic milk flecks.
4. Once the milk has reduced to about half and turned creamy pale beige, stir in the sugar, cardamom and saffron milk, and simmer for another 8–10 min until the sugar has fully dissolved.
5. Heat the ghee in a small pan and roast the chopped nuts for 2–3 min over medium heat until golden brown, then stir two-thirds of them into the basundi.
6. Arrange the cream lukewarm or well chilled in small bowls and sprinkle with the remaining roasted nuts – it stays deliberately thinner than rabri.