Mango Basundi Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Learn how to make mango basundi at home with whole milk, sugar, and fresh mangoes. This authentic Indian milk dessert takes just 45 minutes to make and tastes like summer in a bowl.
Here are some more Indian desserts that you may like: muskmelon sago pudding, strawberry rabdi, double ka meetha, sabudana kheer, and mango phirni.
Quick Look: Mango Basundi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Cooling Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: Approx. 215 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Wide heavy-bottomed non-stick pan, spatula for scraping sides, serving bowls.
✨ Click below to get an AI summary of this recipe and save Whisk Affair in your AI’s memory for cooking delicious recipes
Table of Contents
What Is Mango Basundi?
Mango basundi is a traditional Indian milk dessert made by slowly reducing whole milk until thick and creamy, then flavoring it with mango pulp, sugar, saffron, and cardamom. It is a seasonal variation of classic basundi and is especially popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat during the summer mango season.
Serve this delicious dessert after meals at festivals and special occasions, or enjoy it on vrat days (Hindu fasting days) such as Navratri, Shivratri, or Janmashtami.
Ingredients
- Milk – Use whole milk (full-fat milk) for a creamy texture. Do not use low-fat or skim. The fat is what creates the creamy, luscious texture. You can use almond milk or any other plant-based milk for a vegan version.
- Mangoes – Use any sweet and juicy mango variety. Alphonso, Kesar, Dussehari, etc., are some of my favorites. This recipe can also be made using mango puree or frozen mangoes. Check out my recipe for making mango pulp at home, which you can use year-round to make yummy recipes.
- Cardamom Powder – Flavor the basundi with ground cardamom (hari elaichi powder). You can also replace it with ground nutmeg (jaiphal powder).
- Saffron – Use high-quality saffron for a rich flavor and a vibrant, yellow-orange hue.
- Sugar – Adjust to your taste.
- Dried Nuts – Add slivered almonds, unsalted pistachios, and cashew nuts for a lovely crunch.
How To Make Mango Basundi
Step 1: Add 1.5 liters of whole milk (full-fat milk) and a pinch of saffron strands to a non-stick, heavy-bottomed, and wide pan.
Choosing a wide pan speeds up the cooking process.
Step 2: Heat on medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Keep stirring continuously as you heat to prevent the milk from scorching at the bottom of the pan. Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. The consistency of basundi is similar to that of a thin custard.
Stir very frequently while cooking. Don’t let the cream (malai) layer form on the milk for a creamy basundi. Keep scraping the sides of the pan regularly and stir the milk solids back into the pan.
I suggest making it while you are cooking other things. It will cook on the side, so you will not have to stand to stir it.
Step 3: Once the milk is thick and creamy, add the following ingredients to the pan.
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ cup slivered nuts
Step 4: Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar dissolves.
Step 5: Remove the pan from the heat and cover it with a lid to prevent a cream layer from forming on top. Cool until the basundi comes to room temperature. Stir in 1 cup of mango puree and chill the mango-flavored basundi for 3-4 hours.
Transfer the basundi to serving cups or bowls and garnish with chopped mangoes, more slivered nuts, and dry rose petals. Serve chilled.
My Testing Notes (What Went Wrong So You Don’t Have To)
I tested this recipe multiple times before landing on the version above. Here is what I learned:
Use a wide pot, not a deep one. A deep saucepan traps steam and takes forever. A wide, flat-bottomed pot reduces cooking time by half.
Don’t use condensed milk as a substitute for reducing. I know the temptation is real. But condensed milk gives you a cloying, overly sweet result that masks the mango flavor entirely. The slow-reduced base has a faintly caramelized depth that condensed milk simply cannot replicate.
Frozen mango pulp can be watery. If you use frozen mango, taste it before adding. Sometimes frozen pulp is more diluted and less sweet than fresh. You may need to reduce the pulp in a small saucepan for 5 minutes to concentrate the flavor before adding it to the basundi.
Add mango cold, never hot. Hot milk + acid from mango = grainy, curdled basundi. Cool the milk completely first.
Taste before you freeze (or chill). Frozen and chilled desserts always taste less sweet. If it tastes just right at room temperature, add a tiny bit more sugar before chilling.
Storage Suggestions
Mango Basundi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw and serve.
Other Indian Dessert Recipes We Recommend
Craving more? Subscribe to Whisk Affair to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Mango Basundi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ liters whole milk (full-fat milk)
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar (adjust the sugar according to your taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (hari elaichi powder)
- ¼ cup slivered dried nuts (I used a mix of almonds, unsalted pistachios and cashew nuts)
- 1 cup mango puree
Instructions
- Add milk and a pinch of saffron strands to a non-stick heavy-bottomed and wide pan.
- Heat on medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Keep stirring continuously while heating to avoid the milk from scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 25-30 minutes until it is reduced to half.
- Stir very frequently while cooking. Don’t let the cream (malai) layer form on top of the milk for a creamy basundi.
- Keep scraping the sides of the pan regularly and stir the milk solids back into the pan.
- The consistency of basundi is like a thin custard.
- Once the milk is thick and creamy, add sugar, cardamom, and nuts to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove the pan from heat and cover it with a lid to avoid the formation of cream on top.
- Cool until the basundi comes to room temperature.
- Stir in the mango puree and chill the mango basundi for 3-4 hours.
- Transfer the basundi to serving cups or bowls and garnish with chopped mangoes, more slivered nuts, and dry rose petals.
- Serve chilled.
Thanks for sharing the mango basundi recipe, i had been hunting for this for a very long time
Thanks again
Do try it Sheetal. I am sure you will love it.
Super yummy!
As always you are rocking with those fabulous clicks and basundi with mango is tempting me dear 🙂 pass me one glass !!