Basundi ( gu, બાસુંદી, kn, ಬಾಸುಂಡಿ, mr, बासुंदी, ta, பாசந்தி, te, బాసుంది) is an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...

mostly in

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 35 ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

and

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

. It is a sweetened condensed 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 ''Rabri'' (IAST: Rabaḍī) ( ur, ) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale yellow. Ja ...

''. It is often made on Hindu festivals such as Kali Chaudas and Bhaubeej (Bhai Dooj). Different styles of basundi are also prepared, such as ''sitaphal'' (

custard apple Custard apple is a common name for a fruit and for the tree that bears it, '' Annona reticulata.'' The tree’s fruits vary in shape; they may be heart-shaped, spherical, oblong or irregular. Their size ranges from 7 to 12 cm (2.8 to 4.7 ...

) ''basundi'' and ''angoor basundi'' (basundi with smaller kinds of ''

rasgulla Rasgulla, also known as rasagola, rosogola or rosogolla, is a syrupy dessert popular in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena and semolina dough, cooked in light sugar syrup made of suga ...

s'').

Preparation

Heavy cream may be added during the boiling process to hasten the thickening process. Once reduced, a little sugar, cardamom, '' charoli'' and/or saffron are added. Basundi is preserved well after sugar is added. Sugar develops some acidity over a period of time. If it is excessive, then it can curdle the basundi. Sometimes after adding sugar, one cooks it for some more time; this gives a nice pink color to basundi, as sugar is also cooked in milk turning into a light caramel. Before adding sugar, basundi is thick, but after adding, it becomes fluid again. Stirring well prevents ''

malai Malai (Hindi: मलाई, Urdu: ) is a type of clotted cream, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, especially, in regards to sweets from the Indian subcontinent. It is made by heating no ...

'' from being formed on top and all guests (even late comers) can enjoy equally thick and plain basundi. Basundi is served chilled, often garnished with slices of

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genu ...

s and

pistachio The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. ''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other spe ...

s. Adding less saffron reduces colour intensity. The addition of condensed milk gives a nice flavour and richness to basundi.

How to serve

Basundi can be served hot, warm or chilled. It is often served with puris (fried Indian flatbread).

Ingredients

This milk that is flavored with cardamom powder and saffron basundi varies as per the quantity of saffron. Add less for mild colour. The addition of condensed milk gives a nice flavour and wealth to basundi.

Nutritional value

* Milk - Milk provides daily allowance of

Calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...

. The calcium in milk protects teeth and bones.

Protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

is another key nutrient which milk is rich in - 8.6g. * Almonds - Almonds are rich in B complex vitamins such as

Vitamin B1 Thiamine, also known as thiamin and vitamin B1, is a vitamin, an essential micronutrient, that cannot be made in the body. It is found in food and commercially synthesized to be a dietary supplement or medication. Phosphorylated forms of thia ...

Vitamin B3 Vitamin B3, colloquially referred to as niacin, is a vitamin family that includes three forms or vitamers: niacin (nicotinic acid), nicotinamide (niacinamide), and nicotinamide riboside. All three forms of vitamin B3 are converted within the b ...

Thiamine Thiamine, also known as thiamin and vitamin B1, is a vitamin, an essential micronutrient, that cannot be made in the body. It is found in food and commercially synthesized to be a dietary supplement or medication. Phosphorylated forms of thi ...

, Niacine and

Folate Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing an ...

which plays an important role in brain development.

Regional variants

Narsobawadi

Narsobawadi Basundi is a variant from

Narsobawadi Nrusinhawadi commonly known as Narsobawadi or Narsobachi Wadi is a small town in Shirol Tahasil in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. Narsobawadi gets its name from the presence of 'Shri Nrusinha Saraswati', the Purna Avatar of Lord Dattatreya. Wi ...

. It is a sweetened dense milk made by boiling milk on low heat until the milk is reduced The area near Narsobawadi and Sangli is having ample amount of

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

. The business in Narsobawadi of Basundi has grown against that. The milk is collected from farmers and is boiled in the kadhai till it reduces water content by half. The milk becomes thick and changes colour becomes off white. The sugar is added to get the taste and it is then packed and dispatched to the various dairy and milk product centers for sale. Basundi is an perishable item so needs to be preserved carefully. This item needs to be consumed with in 2–3 days from the date of manufacturing. Heavy cream may be added during the boiling process to hasten the thickening process. Once reduced, a little sugar, cardamom, charoli and/or saffron are added. Basundi is preserved well after sugar is added. Sugar develops some acidity over a period of time. If it is excessive then it can curdle the basundi. Some times after adding sugar one cooks it for some more time; this gives a nice pink color to basundi, as sugar is also cooked in milk turning into a light caramel. Before adding sugar, basundi is thick but after adding it becomes again fluid. Stirring well prevents from

being formed on top and all guests (even late comers) can enjoy equally thick and plain basundi. Basundi is served chilled, often garnished with slices of