Raspberry Basundi

Basundi is a traditional Marathi dessert with a sweet, milky flavour. I had a box of farm fresh Raspberries which I wanted to try out with Basundi, so blended the berries along with the Basundi consistency. The tang of berries blended well with the sweet flavour of Basundi. Very easy dessert packed with punch of fruity goodness. Condensed milk with flavourful colored fruits add a different texture and taste to Indian desserts.

Happy Birthday to my dear country, India & a big welcome to the month of Shraavan!!

Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
Processing time: 6-8 hours of refrigeration

Ingredients:
Whole Milk - 3 cups
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can
Sugar - 3-5 tablespoon
Raspberries (pureed + few whole) - 10-12 or 1/2 cup canned puree
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Almonds (slivered) - 2/3 cup
Pistachios (crushed) - 2/3 cup

Contraption needed - Hand Blender or any electronic blending device.

Method:
Boil the whole milk and condensed milk together on low flame in a non-stick deep dish vessel. Once the milk begins to boil reduce flame and simmer. Time and again scrap off the milk solids which attach to the side of the vessel. During the simmering process, add sugar and stir in to enable blending. Once milk reduces to 1/3 quantity with a milky aroma, turn off the flame and allow to cool. Add Cardamom powder and mix well. Wash the berries and puree to a paste. Sieve through to remove the seeds. Mix this puree with the cooked Basundi blend. Blend with a hand blender if you can to ensure consistency and good spread. Alternately, you could use the canned puree which is available at stores. The whole mixture will catchy a baby pink color.
Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with Almonds and Pistachios. Add in few whole Raspberry toppings as well. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours. If desired, serve as a thickened milk dessert, or freeze and serve as ice-cream.