BASUNDI

Basundi is a very popular sweet made using milk, rice, sugar and condensed milk along with plenty of dry fruits and nuts. It is commonly served during festivals, weddings, and other celebrations. My mother’s basundi is simply perfect and delicious and is one of the most favoured sweets at my home.

Ingredients

3/4^th cup basmati rice or zeera samba rice

½ litre milk

½ tin condensed milk (we used milkmaid)

1 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp each of chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts and raisins

1 tbsp oil

8 tbsp sugar (Adjust according to your taste)

A pinch of saffron soaked in ¼ cup warm milk

Method

• Wash and soak the rice in water for 4 to 5 hours. Grind it coarsely and set aside.

• Heat ½ cup of water in a pan and add the coarse rice paste to it. Bring it to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring continuously.

• Then add milk and keep stirring to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan. Add ghee and mix well.

• Once the rice is cooked, (which may take about 10 minutes), add sugar and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Next add milkmaid and mix well. If it is very thick, then boil 1 or 2 cups of water in another pan and add to this pan.

• Now add saffron soaked in warm milk and stir well.

• Once all the ingredients are well mixed, switch off the gas.

• Finally to roast the nuts, heat oil in a non stick pan and stir fry the nuts till golden. Add this to the basundi and mix well.

• Add ½ tsp oil to the same pan and stir fry the raisins till it puffs up like a balloon and transfer it to the basundi as well.

• Mix well and pour into serving bowls. Serve the basundi hot or cold. We usually refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours and serve cold.

Notes:

Mom added a very small pinch of turmeric powder to the oil before roasting the nuts as a result of which the nuts have got this beautiful yellow colour. If you would like to follow this, then make sure that you roast the turmeric powder in oil for a few seconds to remove its raw smell and only then add in the nuts.