SAFFRON FLAVOURED BASUNDHI

                                              NAVARATHRI - DAY 9 (She is called Bhavani and Saraswathi)

Today, on Saraswati Puja Day, I proudly present before  you all,  the completely hand-crafted Kolu, of our home, done entirely, solely and single handedly by my husband, using card board, news paper and plaster of paris rolls.

I chose to make this Saffron flavoured Basundhi...because, Goddess loves Saffron. She resides in the Saffron fields, says Annapurnashtakam.

Kashmira garu vaasithanga ruchikari, Kashipuradheeshwari! 

She herself will be infused with saffron fragrance...and I thought, it is apt to use saffron flavoured basundhi. It makes the Basundhi creamish, light yellowish in colour. 

Ingredients

Milk - 12 cups ( 3 litres)

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Saffron - 3/4 tsp, soaked in warm milk

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Recipe Cuisine:  Indian;  Category: Dessert / sweet/ neivedhyam

Prep time: 5 mts; Cooking time: 1 hour

Yields 12  small cups of Basundhi

Saffron soaked in warm milk

Milk set to boil in a wide mouthed pan, with cardamom powder and the soaked saffron

Boiling nicely. Flames kept on medium

Malai / Cream is forming slowly

                                                           Collect the cream in a separate bowl

                                                                                          Cream                                                   being segregated and kept  separately                                                                                   

Milk reducing in quantity, cream having been taken off 

Scrape the sides well so that no cream gets wasted

 Milk reduced sufficiently , and sugar added

Now, take care to keep the flames on the lowest and stir till the sugar melts.

Now gently, without disturbing the cream, transfer the collected cream to this main pan, where milk has reduced.

Stir gently, and switch off.

                    The cream coloured, creamy textured,  Saffron flavoured Basundhi is here for you!!!

Notes

* To prevent milk from boiling and flowing down, drop a stainless steel teaspoon or small plate inside. This is my m-i-l's tip. 

*I believe in collecting the cream as and when it forms. Some chefs tell us to leave it as it forms on the sides and scrape later. But ,  by then, due to the heat of the vessel, the cream becomes dark brown in colour.

*If you desire to have the pure white coloured Basundhi, then omit Saffron.

*In all restaurants, they charge exorbitant rates for Basundhi, and try to fool us, not condensing the milk fully, but using the maida  bits,  soaked in milk.

*Quite an easy dish, if we keep in my mind some small things, this is always sure to become a hit!

Categories: Desserts, Festival Delicacies, Indian sweets, Janmashtami neivedhyams, Navarathri Neivedhyams