Pineapple Basundi Recipe
Pineapple Basundi is a delicious fruity twist on the classic basundi recipe. Serve it for festivals and special occasions. Here is how to make it.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For The Pineapple Mixture
- 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple pulp
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
For The Basundi
- 1 and ½ liters whole milk (full fat milk)
- 15-20 saffron strands optional
- ¼ cup granulated sugar adjust according to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg (jaiphal powder)
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (hari elaichi)
- 2 tablespoons chironji (charoli)
- 2 tablespoons slivered dried nuts I used a mix of almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios + more for garnishing
- ½ teaspoon dried rose petals for garnishing
Instructions
Make The Pineapple Mixture
- Add pineapple pulp and sugar to a pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.
Make The Basundi
- Add milk and saffron strands to a non-stick heavy-bottomed and wide pan.
- Heat on medium-high heat until the milk comes to a boil. Stir 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 30-40 minutes until it is reduced to more than half and is thickened and creamy.
- Stir very frequently while cooking. Don’t let 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, nutmeg, and cardamom to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Check for sugar and add more if required. Cook for another minute.
- Stir in chironji and slivered nuts.
- Remove the pan from heat and cover it with a lid to avoid the formation of cream on top.
- Cool the basundi completely.
- Add the cooled pineapple mixture to the cooled and mix well. Chill for a few hours.
- Transfer the basundi in serving cups or bowls and garnish with more slivered nuts and dry rose petals.
- Serve chilled.
Choosing a wide pan makes the cooking process a little faster.
I suggest making it while you are doing other cooking. It will cook on the side and you will not have to stand to stir it separately.
If you like your basundi very creamy and smooth, just pass it through a fine-mesh strainer before adding chironji and nuts.
Video
Notes
Make sure that the pineapple is on the sweeter side. Otherwise, it won't taste great in the band.
To make pineapple pulp, pulse chopped fresh pineapple in a blender until a smooth pulp is made.
To make a vegan version, you can replace dairy milk with any plant-based milk, such as almond, coconut, or soy milk.
Adjust the sugar as per your taste and preference.
Do not use raw pineapples even for garnishing; otherwise, it may turn the basundi bitter.
Nutrition
Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 234IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 1mg
