Basundi

Ingredients:

2 litres milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp elaichi powder

dry fruits for garnishing

Method:

• Cook milk in a heavy bottom pan on a slow flame, till it is reduced to half and has a thick consistency. Keep stirring the milk while it is on the flame.
• When the milk is reduced to the desired consistency, add the elaichi powder and stir. Add sugar and boil the milk till the sugar dissolves completely.
• Add the dry fruits (reserve some for garnishing)and cook for a minute. Turn the gas off and pour the milk in the serving bowl.
• Garnish with the remaining dry fruits and serve hot with puris.

Tips:

• Keep stirring the milk at regular intervals or else the cream will keep forming on the milk.
• I do not like bits of cream while i eat the basundi. What I however do is before adding the sugar I pass the milk, which has been reduced, through a steel sieve, and press the cream really hard through the seive, this way the basundi gets a smooth texture(which some may not like...in such a case you can skip this).
• It is extremely important to use a heavy bottom vessel while cooking milk, or else the milk will stick to the bottom and get brunt. Milk easily absorbs any flavour including burn, so be careful.
• Basundi should always be prepared on a slow flame.
• I normally add pistas and badam, you can add any other dry fruits of your choice. However, blanch the badam and pista before you add them.
• To blanch the badam/pista take a microwave safe bowl, add the pistas, badam and water and microwave covered for 1 1/2 minute. Let it cool. You can then easily peel off the skin, cut them and add to any recipe.
• Blanching of pista is very important as its only after blanching that you get to see that lovely pista colour.
• You may add saffron if you so desire.
• The quantity of sugar can be adjusted to suit ones taste.
• Basundi tastes equally good if had chilled.