Basundi ( Flavoured Milk )

Basundi

Basundi is a sweet dish from Gujarat and usually served with Poori. It is a flavoured creamy milk. It is like Rabri from northern India. Sharing the recipe.

Ingredients

1. Full Cream Milk 2 litre
2. Sugar 1/2 Cup or Sugar Free Powder 2 sachet
3. GreenCardamom 2 or Cardamom Powder
4. Saffron strands or kesar
5. Pistachios
6. Cashews
7. Almonds
8. Jaifal or nutmeg powder 1/4 Tbps ( Optional)

Ingredients

Preparation

Cut pistachios, Almonds, Cashews in small pieces and keep it aside.Take milk in a heavy steel or aluminum bowl. Heat the vessel at very low flame. Add Cardamom Powder and Nutmeg Powder. Keep on storing the milk and scratching from sides till milk is reduced to half. Now at this time add sugar. You will see the milk thickness will reduced and consistency becomes thin. Here it becomes different from Rabri where milk consistency is quite thick. Stir for 10 min till whole sugar is dissolved( Those who want to make it sugar free, add 2 sachet of sugar free powder.). Close the knob. Now put a saffron strands in warm water. Now garnish the sweet and flavoured milk with pistachios, Almonds, Cashews and strands of saffron.
  It can be eaten alone or serve hot with poories. It can be refrigerated and served cold.
Also we can use condensed milk and milk powder to make it.

Bhapa Pitha( Rice cake ) My style

Bhapa Pitha ( Rice Cake)

My house in Delhi is in Chittranjan Park which is also called mini Kolkata as it is home to large Bengali community. Today I am sharing Bhapa Pitha( Rice Cake), a Bong sweet dish.The authentic form is made from Rice and Date(khajur )molasses. Since I making it completely sugar free, I am using honey instead of khajur gur. Also I have given a different twist. Sharing this completely caesin free, gluten free, sugar free and fully Vegan dish.

Ingredients

1. Rice 1 1/2 bowl or bowl of Rice Powder
2. Honey
3. Dessicated coconut (Nariyal/Gola ka bura)100 gm
4. Butter 2 Tbps
5. Salt 1/2 Tbps
6. Pistachios
7. Cashews
8. Almonds
9. Baking soda 1/2 Tbps or Eno small sachet
10. Vanilla essence  or extract

Ingredients

Preparation

Soak Rice in water for 1 hour.( If using Rice Powder no need to soak just add warm water till the paste is thick and smooth.)Pound the rice in a grinder till very little coarse and smooth. Add Salt, Vanilla Essence (2-3 drops), Add dessicated coconut and mix. Keep it aside. Cut pistachios , Almonds, Cashews in to little pieces.Now take a pan and heat at low temp. Add butter. Now add pistachios, Almonds, Cashews and saute. Add a Teaspoon full of honey and caramelized all the nuts. Now add a spoon full of dessicated coconut so that the filling will bind together.
  Now take some water in a deep pan and heat till it starts boiling. Meanwhile take idli maker and glace it with oil. Keep the idli maker aside. Now Take the Rice mixture.Add 2-3 Tbps of honey and a sachet of Eno.Mix nicely. Take the mixture in ladel and put it in idli maker.On the top of every scoop add caramelized nuts.Steamed the Rice cake for nearly 40 - 45 min till rice cooks well. When using Rice powder steam for lesser min. Remove and let it cool. Remove the rice cake with a blunt knife.
Top it up with honey while serving.