By Nandini Bhushan*
Much like the Indian culture, the cuisine of India is blessed with an immense range of traditional as well as regional food. Depending upon the availability of local vegetables, fruits, Spices and herbs along with the climatic factor, Indian food varies in choices. Each state is influenced with these choices making them unique and distinctive from one another.
Also try: Indian Food Recipes – Misal Pav
Basundi
Basundi is a traditional Indian dessert that enjoys immense popularity in Maharashtra and is a celebration food made especially during Diwali. It is indeed one of the simplest yet most loved sweet recipes made by reducing milk, sweetened and flavoured with nutmeg, cardamom, saffron and topped with nuts. Although it tastes great even all by itself, locals relish it with hot puris.
Ingredients
Full cream milk: 1 litre
Sugar : ¼ cup
Chironji : 2 tsp
Saffron : 8 to 10 string soaked in 2 tsp lukewarm milk
A pinch of cardamom and nutmeg powder
Step 1
In a thick bottom broad pan bring milk to a boil. After one boil, reduce the flame and cook the milk.
Step 2
Let the milk reduce stirring occasionally. As the cream layer is formed at the top, scrape the edges and collect the cream into the centre. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t get spoilt.
Step 3
Once the milk reduces to almost half in its volume, add the sugar, karonji and saffron soaked milk and cook for another ten minutes.
Step 4
Sprinkle the nutmeg and cardamom powder and turn off the flame.
Step 5
The delicious and aromatic basundi is ready to be served.
*Nandini Bhushan is a well-known food blogger
