''Rabri'', Rabdi or Rabidi (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

: Rabaḍī) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

, 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.

Jaggery Jaggery is a List of unrefined sweeteners, traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, North America, Central America, Brazil and Africa. It is a concentrated product of Sugarcane juice, cane jui ...

, spices, and nuts are added to it to give it flavor. It is chilled and served as dessert. ''Rabri'' is the main ingredient in several desserts, such as ''

rasabali Rasabali (, IAST: rasābaḷi) is a sweet dish from Odisha, India. It consists of deep fried flattened reddish brown patties of chhena (farmer cheese) that are soaked in thickened, sweetened milk ( rabri). Flattening the chhena into palm-sized pa ...

'', ''

chhena kheeri Chhena kheeri () is a sweet dish originally from coastal Odisha in eastern India. Preparation Chhena kheeri is made by deep-frying cubes of chhena cheese. Although typically ghee is used as the frying medium, chefs frequently substitute this wi ...

'', and ''

khira sagara Khīrå sāgårå () is an Odia sweet dish that literally translates to '' ocean of milk'' in Odia language. The sweet has depiction in Hindu scriptures about Lakshmi serving Vishnu and Madhusudana with it. Khīrå sāgårå consists of marble-s ...

''. A similar dish goes by the name ''

Basundi Basundi (, , , , ) is an Indian sweet mostly in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is a sweetened condensed milk made by boiling milk on low heat until the milk is reduced by half. In North India, a s ...

''.

History

''Chandimangala'' mentions ''rabdi'' (thickened, sweetened milk), along with other sweets, in the early 1400s. ''Rabri'' was banned in Kolkata 1965 during an economic recession for its excessive use of milk. It was overturned within the year by the

Calcutta High Court The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It is located at Esplanade Row West, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. T ...

due to lawsuits from independent sweet shops. According to some legends, Rabri was first offered to Lord

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

at the

Banke Bihari Temple Banke Bihari Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the town of Vrindavan, Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Banke Bihari who is believed to be the combined form of Radha and Krishna. Banke Bihari was originally ...

Vrindavana Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of the ...

by a Rajasthani princess.

Creation

''Rabri'' is made by heating sweetened milk in a large open vessel ('' kadhai''). As the layer of cream begins to form on the surface of the milk, it is taken off and kept aside. The process continues until the milk is exhausted.

Varieties

There are various types of Rabri, each with distinct characteristics:

''Plain Rabri''

''Plain Rabri'' is prepared by continuously simmering and stirring milk until it reduces and thickens. Sugar and cardamom are commonly added to enhance its flavor.

''Lachha/Lachhedar Rabri''

''Lachha Rabri'' is characterized by layers of cream, known as ''lachhas'', which form during the slow cooking process. These layers give it a distinctive texture.

''Pista Rabri''

''Pista Rabri'' is characterized by the inclusion of pistachios, which lend a distinct flavor and a greenish tint to the dessert.

''Kesari Rabri''

''Kesari Rabri'' is flavored with

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...

, giving it a golden hue and a rich, aromatic flavor

''Malai Rabri''

''Malai Rabri'' is distinguished by the addition of extra ''malai'' (cream), resulting in a richer and more indulgent version compared to the traditional Rabri.

References

Indian desserts Rajasthani cuisine North Indian cuisine Pakistani cuisine Puddings Indian dairy products {{India-food-stub